


The Diamond Ball - Spades Perspective

by Ein_Nachkussen



Series: Diamond Ball [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred getting protective, Cardverse, Different Perspective, Drama, Jealousy, M/M, Romance, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-07 06:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11053575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ein_Nachkussen/pseuds/Ein_Nachkussen
Summary: A retelling of the Diamond Ball, but through the perspective of the Spades.Alfred and Arthur are the newly married and newly crowned, King and Queen of Spades, attending their first ball as the leaders of the Kingdom of Spades.However, Alfred quickly notices that something is off about the King of Diamonds, and finds his interest in Arthur more than questionable.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> I have to thank JoeAverage for this, I hope you enjoy :) 
> 
> This is for readers curiosities as well as my own, I can't seem to let this AU go
> 
> Nothing will make a writer happier than a comment, so please don't be shy!!

THE QUEEN 

“We’re going to do our best here, Arthur, we’re going to come home and our people will love us, I promise.” Alfred’s smile gave Arthur slightly more confidence in what they were doing. He watched as Alfred hunched over to step out of the small carriage door, the sunlight of the Diamond Kingdom illuminating his golden hair. 

Arthur sucked in a deep breath as he felt the anxiety begin to froth inside of him, like an illness. He tried to not preoccupy his thoughts too much as he stared into Alfred’s eyes, giving his beloved husband a loving smile. 

“I love you,” Arthur said as Alfred turned from outside the carriage, extending his hand to Arthur, where the Queen took it, his skin warming to Alfred’s touch. 

“I love you too,” Alfred replied as Arthur stepped out of the carriage and to the view of the world. 

As soon as Arthur’s eyes adjusted to the intense brightness of the white stone Diamond Palace, Arthur saw the figures in gold standing by the door, with the eyes of the Diamond King focussing directly on him.  
Arthur watched as the Diamond King watched him link his arm with Alfred's and begin to move towards them, and he knew immediately that he and Alfred had broken so many rules, and could only wonder what the Diamond King thought of him already...

They have already broken two codes of behaviour, Alfred left the carriage first; breaking the order, and now he was holding Arthur’s arm, showing intimacy between the two. They were walking like a couple. Arthur held on tightly to Alfred’s arm when he realised that the Diamond King was still looking at him, and his expression hadn’t changed a bit. Was he really so offended? Francis’ stare caught Arthur off guard, and so, the Queen stared back, not wanting to give in to pressure so quickly… 

Arthur has heard so much about the beloved King of Diamonds, he has the highest public approval out of all the monarchs: his people loved him and trusted him as their leader. Arthur could not help but feel envious; he wished that the people of Spades loved him and Alfred slightly as much. King Francis is benevolent, charming, and kind… He has heard about how often King Francis can freely leave the palace and walk around the kingdom with hardly any security! That would be a dream come true for Arthur! He can barely leave the palace walls without Matthew and armed security! Assassinations must be unheard of in the Kingdom of Diamonds.  
The closer the Spades got to the Diamond Monarchs, the clearer they appeared. Arthur hasn’t seen them since he and Alfred watched the Spades Ball from the balconies the year before, now they are going to meet every monarch. 

The Queen was the cutest young girl that Arthur has ever seen, and she was even cuter up close. Her wide green eyes stared into Arthur’s soul as her lips formed into a small smile. She had the face and body of a child; however, she was as loved and respected by her people as Francis is. She is a much-respected Queen. She wore a lovely golden, yellow, and orange dress, decorated with bows and golden diamond embroidery. 

King Francis was as handsome as Arthur imagined, and he only looked better up close. His mid-neck length golden blonde hair bordered his mature face; and a subtle beard covered his jawline. He was dashing and looked like the kind of man that would easily earn the respect of a Kingdom. Arthur could see where the tales of the King’s charm and flirtation comes from. His narrowed light blue eyes were still focussing on Arthur, trapping him in their tight gaze; Arthur wondered what he thought of him… 

The Diamond Monarchs and the Spade Monarchs stood across from each other, both couples staring in silence. Wasn’t King Francis supposed to greet them?  
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Diamonds,” Queen Lili expressed, before politely curtsying before Alfred and Arthur. 

King Francis finally seemed to return to reality, “Y-yes, welcome.” He extended his hand to shake Alfred’s hand, smiling politely, “it’s a pleasure to finally meet you both.” Francis smiled at Arthur before continuing, “I am Francis, and this is my Queen Lili.” 

“Pleasure,” Arthur replied as he extended his hand towards Francis, who took it and bent down to lightly kiss Arthur’s hand. 

“I am Alfred,” Alfred explained as Francis let Arthur’s hand drop.

“Arthur,” Arthur added, smiling as he felt Alfred tighten his grip on his arm, keeping him close. Alfred must be nervous, Arthur doesn’t blame him: He is nervous too. Something seemed off about Francis, he looked even more nervous than Alfred and Arthur. 

It was Alfred who asked, “Francis? Are you feeling well?” 

“You seem flushed…” Arthur pointed out, tilting his head with concern. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” Francis promised before looking to his Queen, where the two talked amongst themselves. 

Alfred and Arthur glanced at each other in confusion, wondering whether this behaviour was normal for the Diamond King.  
“Is everything ok?” Alfred asked. 

“Yes,” Francis replied as he began to lead the monarchs through the doors into the Diamond Palace, “Please, come inside and meet the others.” As soon as Arthur stepped through the doors to the Diamond castle revealing the beautiful entrance hall, a chandelier hung in the centre of the large hall, which was decorated with diamonds and elegant flower displays. 

“This place is so beautiful,” Arthur, gasped. This palace was already so much more grand, bright and lively than the Spades Castle, which was darker and more gothic, but then again, the Spades Kingdom wasn’t as naturally lit as the Diamonds. 

King Francis looked to his Jack and spoke, “Vash, may you escort our latest guests to the meeting room?” 

“Wait, are you not coming?” Alfred asked. 

“I will be there soon, I just need to check something quickly,” Francis replied as he began to make his way up the staircase, “please, do enjoy your stay; the other monarchs are very excited to meet you both.”

Arthur did find Francis’ behaviour a little bit odd; however, he understood that the King must be stressed, with so much going on with the preparation of the conference. He seemed like a nice man, perhaps someone that Arthur could befriend. After all, it is the Diamond Kingdom that the Spades must focus on the most: with everything going on at home, a deal with an agricultural Kingdom would be extremely beneficial. Arthur knew that he and Alfred would have to get onto his good side, because the Kingdom of Diamonds is an agricultural power, of which Alfred and Arthur need in order to satisfy their hungry masses back home. 

Alfred and Arthur knew that they had to be on their absolute best behaviour, they needed the other monarchs to love them, and want to work with them. Anything to bring back the best for their kingdom. Alfred and Arthur feared what would happen to them if they didn’t… They knew that the revolutionaries were not going to wait much longer for the new royals to fix the problems left behind by the last monarchs. This conference was their last chance to appease their people and earn their trust. 

“Now’s your chance,” Yao whispered as the Jack of Diamonds began to lead the group towards another door. Naturally, Yao sounded nervous, “Remember what’s at stake.”

“How can we forget?” Alfred asked, holding on tightly to Arthur’s hand, “Don’t worry, Yao. It will all work out.” 

 

THE KING 

“So explain to me, you and your Queen have a legitimate marriage?” The King of Hearts, Ludwig asked with a surprised look on his face. 

With a nod, Alfred showed the King and Queen of Hearts his hand, revealing the two rings he had on his finger. The silver band represented Alfred’s union to the Kingdom, every monarch has one. However, the golden band had a different meaning, “the golden ring is for my marriage to Arthur. We had a wedding, reception and all.” 

“Wow,” King Ludwig gasped, before looking to his shorter Queen and chuckling, “No offence, but I could never marry you.” 

Queen Kiku chuckled, “Likewise. You’re great as a King, but as a husband: you’d be insufferable.” Both Kings laughed loudly to Kiku’s response. 

“Anyways, I’d like to congratulate you on your new Jack,” Alfred announced. 

“Thank you, Feliciano has been training hard for years, he’s going to do great,” Ludwig explained. Alfred smiled before turning his head to look for Arthur, smiling to see him speaking with the Queen of Clubs, and the woman looked overjoyed: he must be talking about their wedding. Alfred and Arthur knew that they could use the other monarch’s curiosities over their marriage to their advantage. People will want to talk with them, and so they can use that to engage and become better acquainted faster, which would mean better deals. What monarch would offer a good deal to an uninteresting stranger rather than a new friend with an interesting story? 

Alfred returned his attention to the Heart Monarchs, “So, this is your second year reigning, how have you been finding it?”

“It has its stressful moments, however; it is rewarding. I love nothing more than to see that we are doing a good thing for our people,” Ludwig explained. 

“We recently built a new fishing village, and so far it is going greatly,” Kiku added. 

Alfred nodded, happy to hear that they are going well, now Alfred just has to pretend that the situation is as good as that in the Spades Kingdom. He has to act like there’s no famine, no discourse, and no political revolution on the rise, and this is he and Arthur’s last chance to make things right. “That sounds really good, I’m happy that things are going well!” 

Alfred turned around again, hearing Arthur’s voice coming from somewhere, only to see him talking with Francis, who had finally joined the other monarchs. He and Arthur seemed to be having a good conversation, Francis must have calmed down since their arrival, what was that about anyways? 

“Well, things could be better…” Kiku murmured as he and Ludwig looked to each other, before looking around to see if any wandering ears could be listening to their conversation. 

“How so?” Alfred asked. 

“We are planning to make a move at the Conference. And we want to ask for your help…” Ludwig explained, “The Northern Mountains were taken from us by the Clubs during the last war. We are not asking for you to do anything, we just feel that you have the right to know that the Clubs don’t have the same connection to the land as we do.” 

“My mother was born there,” Kiku admitted, “People there identify themselves as Heartlanders, and are targeted by Clubs authorities when they protest the ownership of the land. We understand that it is not the fault of King Ivan and Queen Elizabeta, however… Our people still live there, and they deserve to freely call themselves Heartlanders.”

“Wow…” Alfred gasped, looking around to check where the Clubs were, only to immediately spot Arthur still speaking with Francis, smiling. He looked back to the Hearts and leaned in, “Thank you for telling me this.” 

Alfred knew that he would speak to Yao about this is as soon as he can. What can the Kingdom of Hearts offer to the Spades, and is it worth going against the Clubs? He could see a perfectly good deal coming out of this situation, even if he has to rock the boat a little bit… 

\------

Alfred and Arthur reunited at the dinner table, holding hands as they sat next to each other, with Arthur sitting next to Lili, and Alfred sitting next to Yao. Alfred figured that now would not be a good time to ask Yao about the deal with Hearts, considering that the Clubs were sitting directly across the table from them. 

Alfred stared at the meal in front of him, analysing it. He hasn’t been able to eat a meal without proper examination since he was poisoned a year ago… Could there be something in the lamb; could someone from the rebels back home have snuck into the Diamond kitchen and poison him again…? Would it kill him this time? 

“Alfred,” Arthur whispered as he leaned into Alfred and pulled on his Kings hand, pulling him closer, “It’s going to be ok… No one wants to hurt us here.” 

“I’m sorry, I just…” 

“Shh,” Arthur murmured before placing a light kiss on Alfred’s cheek, keeping their cheeks pressed together so they could speak securely. “It’s ok.”

“I just can’t stop thinking about Coronation night…”

“I know and I don’t blame you. But think of this, Lukas and Mathias said that they would not have anyone hurt us again. And the Chef who poisoned you is still in the dungeon, he is never going to hurt you again.” 

“Right…” Alfred whispered, “Also, I will need to speak with you and Yao later, I think I found something that can help us.” 

“From who?” 

“Ludwig and Kiku, they have proposed something, and I think I can see something good coming out of it, although, it will mean us going against the Clubs…” 

“Oh god… Alfred… I don’t know, the Clubs are powerful…” 

“Exactly, which is why I want to speak with you and Yao first.” Alfred explained, before chuckling, “I won’t do anything without your approval. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Arthur replied as he and Alfred pulled a part, noticing that the eyes of the other monarchs were on them. 

They spent the rest of the night in relative peace, Alfred has to admit that he hasn’t had this much fun in years. The other monarchs are nice people, and have welcomed Alfred and Arthur into their group, he felt as if they had all been friends for years. Alfred could only hope that the Conference does not ruin this.


	2. Day Two

THE QUEEN

Like he has been for every morning over the past year, Arthur woke up in the tight grip of Alfred’s arms. The King always rolled over throughout the night to snake his arms around Arthurs sides and his shoulders, holding him like Arthur helped him sleep. Arthur knew that the threat of separation still scared Alfred, even in his sleep, he was terrified of Arthur being taken from him by angry revolutionaries. 

Separation anxiety was what Yao diagnosed it as. And that made sense, considering all that they had been through. 

Arthur was surprised when he opened his eyes and saw the bright golden and white colour scheme of their bedroom within the Diamond Palace. The thin, lightweight curtains barely offered the couple any protection from the light of the sun. Squinting, Arthur rolled over and nuzzled into Alfred’s bare chest, hearing his King wake up. Even when lying against him, Arthur could see the shape of Alfred’s King’s mark on his heart. The dark blue mark was pigmented against Alfred’s paler complexion, even with sun-tan, the mark still caught Arthur’s eye. The mark was of beautiful and intricate detail, that not even the most skilled of artist could replicate. That was how people knew when the mark was legitimate… 

“Good morning~” Alfred cooed, sleepily nuzzling his nose into Arthur’s fluffy hair. "My love..." Even when sleepy, Alfred still took every opportunity to call Arthur a loving name... 

“Good morning,” Arthur murmured, planting a soft kiss on Alfred’s shoulder… Even after a year of marriage, Alfred’s sweet pet-names manage to make Arthur light headed… 

“Heh, I still can’t believe how nice the people are here,” Alfred pointed out, “Last night I heard people propose a toast to King Francis, and it was genuine! Francis wasn’t even present for it, and they still drank to his good health and happiness.” 

“Really?” Arthur asked, resting his head on the pillow to see his King’s eyes. Even in the morning, they were still wider and bluer than the vastest of seas. 

People have toasted to Alfred and Arthur before, however, they were well aware that people in their Kingdom never wished for their health or happiness when they weren’t around, they probably just drank without words of the King or Queen. The fact that people did it here without the presence of their King told Alfred and Arthur what kind of respect the people of Diamonds had for Francis and Lili. 

“It amazes me,” Alfred pointed out, “I want us to be respected that much one day.” 

“And we will, when we fix all of the problems,” Arthur whispered as he placed his hand on Alfred’s jawline, before planting a light kiss upon Alfred’s lips. “We are going to do the best that we can. Perhaps we can learn from Francis and Lili, surely they didn’t earn their people’s love overnight.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised, they’re lovely people.” 

“I adore Lili, she is the sweetest little thing~” Arthur cooed. 

“And King Francis is a good man,” Alfred pointed out, “I’ve even come to really enjoy the company of the Hearts as well.” 

“Heh, we have barely been here a day and we’ve already made friends,” Arthur added as Alfred pressed his nose against Arthur’s, rubbing them together lovingly.

“It means that we are going to do well at the conference.” Alfred added.

The couple was interrupted by a knock on the door, before hearing Matthew calling from outside of their bedroom. “Are you decent?!” 

“Just a moment!” Alfred yelled as he and Arthur rolled out of bed, putting their bedding-robes on to cover their modesties.

Within a couple of minutes, Alfred and Arthur were joined in their bedroom by Matthew and Yao, who were thankful to see that Alfred and Arthur were out of bed. 

“I think you two should speak to King Francis today, and introduce the idea of changing our trade agreement with the Diamonds,” Yao explained. 

“Already?” Arthur asked. 

“Yes, we want to set the seed in with the Diamonds that we have something to offer them, and the best way to do that is through Francis. But leave Vash to me, I will speak to him during the games.” 

“Oh, that’s right, the King’s Games are today,” Alfred murmured. 

“That’s right, so wear something you can ride in,” Yao agreed. 

“Arthur, I know that you want to ride today, will you go through with it?” Matthew asked. Arthur smiled, thankful that Matthew has taken his side in this. Traditionally, only the Kings performed in the games, while the Queens and Jacks sat out. 

Arthur wanted to challenge this tradition this year, he even had Matthew teach him how to shoot an arrow. 

“Alfred is going to have the first go, and then I will make my statement and take the second shot,” Arthur explained. 

“I support it then,” Yao nodded, “Perhaps the other queens will agree with you. I’m sure that Queen Elizbeta would love the opportunity. She is a very strong-willed woman. She is more likely to support another Queen in changing the tradition.” 

“Very well then,” Alfred chuckled, “Arthur and I will speak to Francis and Arthur will join the King’s Games.” 

“Good, now,” Yao explained as he escorted Matthew out of Alfred and Arthur’s bedroom, “you two should have your bath and then come out as soon as possible.” 

\--- 

When Alfred and Arthur joined the rest of the monarchs for breakfast, they greeted the Clubs first, and were not surprised that they were as intrigued by their marriage as the Hearts were. However, Alfred and Arthur were more than happy to show off their wedding rings. 

However, Arthur saw Francis looking at him, and Arthur knew now that he and Alfred had to take their chance, for they did not know when they would see him alone before the games. Arthur took Alfred’s hand and excused themselves from the Clubs before walking with Alfred towards Francis. 

“Good morning,” Arthur chirped, smiling at the Diamond King, to him: Francis was already a friend, considering how much they had talked the night before. 

“We wanted to speak to you about something, it is something for you to consider before the conference starts. As we don’t think that we’ll have another chance to speak to you privately during the games,” Alfred began. 

“When discussing how you’re going to conduct your grain trade, we want you to consider the historic friendship between the Spades and the Diamonds,” Arthur continued, until he turned to glance at Alfred, tightening the grip on his King’s hand before focussing back on Francis, noticing that the King of Diamonds was staring at their linked hands. “You see, the Kingdom of Spades needs this alliance now more than ever, as all of our focus has been going towards gaining coal and steel.” 

“How can I help?” Francis asked. 

“We need special consideration; perhaps you could … lower some prices for trade to the Spade Kingdom?” Alfred asked. 

“These prices have been set for years, I’d need to discuss it with the Jack and Queen, I’m afraid,” Francis explained, keeping his eyes on Alfred. 

“Well, consider it before accepting any deals from other Kingdoms,” Alfred stated, “in the end, a relationship with us will benefit the Diamonds. You see, the Spades Kingdom has been encouraging inventors and innovators now than we have ever before. The former monarchs left behind a lot for Arthur and I to inherit. We have people who are planning to build boats and ships that do not rely on the wind, and transport that does not rely on horses, as well as weaponry.” 

“The Kingdom of Spades is beginning to go through an Industrial Revolution; and those are expensive. We thought that the Diamonds would like to help us push it forward, all we need is your cooperation; otherwise we will offer this to another Kingdom.” Arthur explained. 

“I will consider it, but I cannot make the decision alone,” Francis pointed out. Of which Arthur expected him to say, it would be foolish for a King to make such an agreement without consulting their Jack. 

“Fine, take your time… but be careful with it, as we plan to share this with the other Kingdoms during the conference,” Arthur concluded. “If you chose to accept this offer, you will be seeing a lot more of us, and the alliance between the Spades and Diamonds will be stronger than ever.” 

Arm in arm, Alfred and Arthur turned away and walked away as the Jack of Diamonds announced the movement of the monarchs to the Diamond gardens, where the games are to take place.

\------ 

The Diamond gardens were also home to a decorative horse-racing course, which for today was decorated in the symbols of each Kingdom, and the bullseye targets were lined along the track, opposite the wooden stands, giving the royals a perfect view of the targets and the track. Eventually every monarch and their Ace had arrived to the gardens, marvelling at the skill and dedication shown in the decoration of the gardens, as well as the general beauty of the Diamond landmark. 

The King’s Games were a relatively new tradition; it was designed for the Kings to demonstrate their physical skill. This is demonstrated by a Kings ability to shoot an arrow whilst riding on horseback. 

It was supposed to be a demonstration of a King’s harmony with a horse, the agility to remain upright and to shoot an arrow, and the precision it takes to shoot the arrow at the target. It is supposed to be a simple game for Kings to show off their strength. Arthur and Alfred practiced this as often as they could, and hoped that their skills would be enough to leave a mark on the other monarchs, especially in relation to Arthur challenging the exclusivity of the sport, as Queens traditionally spectated. 

The game was also introduced to ease the Kings into the historically stressful conference, which was expected to last for hours, and leave the monarchs feeling bitter towards each other; of which the Ball was supposed to heal.  
The horses present were decorated with the colours and symbols of each Kingdom, and to match each Kings riding gear. 

First, Francis stood on the race track, in front of the horses and talked loudly and thanked the monarchs for attending, and wished everyone luck in the games. Despite there being no official prize for the winner, it was the spirit of competition and friendliness that drives to strengthen the relationship between each Kingdom through harmless sport. Then Vash took his spot as the horses were led away by stable-hands, Vash explained the rules and the aim of the game, pointing out that each King had two chances to score a better mark with their arrows. 

It was King Ludwig who was announced first. Ludwig’s practice in the sport was evident as he encouraged his white horse into a gallop, and he immediately arched his back and raised his bow, positioning the arrow and aiming. As his horse dashed past the target, Ludwig released his arrow, and it hit almost directly in the middle of the target, giving him an impressive first score. 

Arthur looked to his side to see Lili smiling at him, he could see that she wanted to talk to him. Excusing himself from Alfred, Arthur moved towards where Lili sat. 

“Hello, sweetheart,” Arthur greeted as he sat down next to Lili, smiling at her as the young Queen giggled. 

“Good morning, Arthur!” Lili chirped. “I tried some tea from the Spade Kingdom before bed last night! It was delicious!” 

“Oh, I’m glad you liked it, which flavour was it?” Arthur asked. 

“Earl Midnight!” Lili replied, “I think it’s my favourite now, but I still love the fruity ones.” 

“Well, if I had known that you loved tea from the Spades, I would have brought you some,” Arthur explained, “However, I do have some of my own collection with me, perhaps I could leave some for you.” 

“I would love that! Maybe we could have some together before you go!” Lili proposed, clapping her small, delicate hands together. 

Arthur could feel his cheeks redden as he smiled widely, this young girl was adorable, and every word she said tugged as Arthur’s heartstrings. She had the face of a doll and the voice of a child, with the grace and heart of an angel. 

“Oh darling, I would love that,” Arthur sighed. 

“Also, Francis told me that he and Alfred said that the Spades are working on something! He was excited!” 

This gave Arthur the confidence he needed, it told Arthur that Francis has been talking about it. Which was a good sign. 

“Yes, we have been working on a lot back home. Lots of inventors have been working hard back home. For instance, there are boats that run on steam, not on wind. And even carriages that do not need horses,” Arthur explained, watching Lili’s green eyes widen with wonder. She was intrigued by what Arthur was telling her, knowing that she would repeat what she hears to her fellow Diamond Monarchs. “It’s very interesting.” 

“That sounds amazing…” She gasped.

“Arthur,” Alfred called, catching the Queens attention, Alfred waved his hand, beckoning Arthur to return to his side. Arthur bowed his head to Lili and shook her hand, telling her that they will discuss their tea-time later that evening. 

 

THE KING 

Alfred smiled when Arthur returned to his side, saying to Arthur as he sat beside him, “Yao is speaking to Vash right now, how did your talk with Lili go?” 

“Great, she’s fascinated by what we have back home,” Arthur whispered. 

“Fantastic, if Yao does well, we will have our deal,” Alfred explained as Francis finished his run, shooting an impressive score with his bow and arrow. 

“Oh, that was a good one…” Arthur gasped. 

“Well, I’ll do better,” Alfred chuckled before he placed his hands on Arthurs cheeks and gave him a sweet kiss, being sure to let go before their lips lingered enough to attract attention. “Heh… Honestly, I’m more excited to see you do it.” 

“Score well and I won’t embarrass you,” Arthur chuckled, unable to resist planting another soft kiss on Alfred’s lips. 

Alfred chuckled as he finally pulled himself away from Arthur and made his way from the stands and towards the stables. Alfred stepped off the stands and walked into the stables, to see a tall and powerful black horse dressed in blue dressings. 

The beast looked majestic and made Alfred’s heart skip a beat, he could not wait to ride it, and he could not wait to see Arthur to ride it. 

He was prepared to do anything to make sure that Arthur has his chance to ride, he would happily take down anyone who stood in his Queens way. Although, he hopes that no one stands in Arthurs way to defend an exclusive tradition. 

Alfred swung his leg over and pulled himself onto the horses back, before taking the bow and arrow from the stable-hand. The overall process took a couple of minutes, and before he knew it, he was guiding his horse out of the stables, where he could see that all eyes were on him. However, there were only one set of eyes that Alfred cared about. He looked at Arthur and smiled before straightening his back and lifted his bow and arrow, remaining balanced and poised as his dark horse galloped through the racetrack. Alfred released the arrow, shooting a near perfect score, as his horse finished its lap and reduced its speed to a canter. 

Alfred was somewhat happy with his score, and he hoped that he had done well enough to give Arthur a good chance. He looked at the other monarchs, however, focussed only on Arthur, seeing that Francis was sitting next to him, staring directly at Alfred. Something in the Diamond King’s eyes made Alfred feel uneasy, it was the way that Francis remined him of a pet who has just been caught doing something bad. It was an odd look for the man, what had he done to warrant such a stare? He glared at Francis as he tried to question why he would be looking at him in such a way, could Arthur have something to do with it? However, Alfred’s gaze broke when his horse entered the stable. 

With an uneasy feeling in his heart, Alfred returned to his place by Arthur’s side as Ivan left the stands to prepare for his turn, and Ludwig braced himself to go after him, following the enthusiastic encouragement he received from his Jack, whilst the Queen of Hearts watched on in amusement.

Alfred looked down at Arthur’s hand to see that he was holding a beautiful orange rose, the petals radiated their passionate and bright colour, it was almost too perfect to be real. 

“Where did you get that?” Alfred asked, lifting Arthur’s hand to get a better look at the rose, before looking to the edges of the stands, realising that it must have come from the flower displays. The stands had been decorated with stunning roses, all representing the colours of the four Kingdoms. 

“Francis gave it to me after his first run,” Arthur explained, pointing to Francis, who was speaking with Lili. 

Alfred frowned, slowly connecting the dots. Was Francis giving Alfred that worried look because he had given Arthur a rose? Surely a rose doesn’t mean much, right? The feeling of extreme unease was present in his stomach and his heart as he watched Ivan perform his impressive shot. 

After Ivan returned to the stands, Ludwig shot a perfect score with the arrow, achieving the closest shot to a bullseye than any of the other Kings. It was clear the Ludwig was in the lead. 

Despite the competition, Alfred could not calm himself down, surely the rose meant nothing and Francis’ gaze didn’t mean anything. Alfred refused to let this worry him but it still did. He must not assume the worst of the Diamond King, no one wants to hurt them here! 

Francis went again and earned himself a nice score; however it was clear that Ludwig had beaten him, judging by how perfect the King of Heart’s last shot was. When he returned to the stands and sat next to Arthur, everyone had expected Alfred to rise from his seat and prepare to leave; however, Arthur rose instead. 

Arthur chuckled before continuing, removing his violet coat, revealing the white shirt, tanned waistcoat and brown pants and knee-length black boots that he wore underneath; revealing his slim and slender figure. Arthur glanced at Francis and smiled, sliding the orange rose into the pocket of his waistcoat, adding a spot of colour to his outfit. “So why should I not have a go?” 

“Hmm, though, it’s always been something that Kings did,” Ludwig pointed out. 

Arthur smirked at the King of Hearts, “What’s a King without their Queen?”

Without another word, Arthur turned around and left the stands before walking to the stable, much to the shock of the stable-hands leaving Francis to sit next to Alfred. Alfred refused to let his earlier concerns worry him now, he wants to be friends with the other King. 

Alfred was so proud, and rather relieved that no one challenged Arthur, perhaps everyone silently agreed that it is only fair that a Queen have a go at the sport. He was so proud of how Arthur took control of the situation and showed the others that he was not just a Queen, he was a leader now. 

Alfred couldn’t help but chuckle, and now he wants everyone to know how proud he is, “I’m so proud of him; he does what he wants and lets nobody stop him. Not even tradition slows him down…” Alfred explained. “We’re sorry to do this here… But, Arthur and I are going to change the world, and the littlest of things matter, and it’s going to start during this conference.” 

“But why?” Francis asked, “Has the industrial revolution changed the Kingdom that much?” 

“Of course it has, revolutions challenge everything that Kingdoms have ever known. We’re not going to sit back and let the opportunity pass us, we must act in order to keep up with these new ideas. Tradition tried to dictate how Arthur and I were going to live our lives, but we refused to allow it.” Alfred snapped, turning to look at Francis. “We decided that were going to do things that no King and Queen had ever done before, the first step was our marriage.”

“You married him to challenge tradition?” Francis asked, frowning. 

“No, we married out of love. We just happened to be lucky that everything fit together so perfectly,” Alfred pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Francis, wondering why Francis would care about that. However, Alfred was more concerned over how offended Francis looked over the matter. Why would it matter to him if Alfred and Arthur hadn’t married out of love? 

Alfred watched with amazement as Arthurs dark horse broke into a gallop, and the Queen arched his back and aimed his arrow with one graceful moment, before releasing the arrow as his horse ran past, achieving an amazing score. Alfred’s bitterness towards Francis completely ended, it was as though Arthur had complete extinguished the fire in his heart. His love for Arthur brought Alfred back down to earth. 

“He’s amazing…” Alfred sighed, hopelessly smitten. 

“He is…” Francis agreed before freezing, he sounded dream-like. Alfred sharply turn his head to look at Francis with narrow eyes. Why would he say that about another Queen? Instantly Alfred became suspicious, what exactly was going on within King Francis? Alfred was tempted to even question it, perhaps Francis was talking about something else, perhaps he was agreeing with Alfred, but his voice came out wrong. It could be a misunderstanding. 

Alfred chose to treat it as such. 

The Spades defiance of tradition was not in vain, as the Queen of Clubs made it her personal mission to go next and King Ivan was powerless to stop her, knowing that it was not a battle worth having. She shot an impressive score and smiled at Arthur with appreciation before running to the fellow Queen and shaking his hand, thanking him for the idea. 

Their second day in the Diamond Kingdom was successful, and Alfred and Arthur knew now that the impact they will have on the other Kingdoms has only just begun. 

\----

Later in the night, the Kings and Queens separated; the Kings were gathered around a table, accompanied by alcohol and playing cards.

Alfred felt relatively calm, despite seeing Francis stare at him as he drank his wine. Alfred was still confused from their moment earlier, however, he chose to believe that Francis was impressed by Arthur and his voice simply came out in the wrong tone. It was an easy mistake and Francis is a good man. Besides, Alfred has always been a little bit paranoid from time to time.

“So, Alfred, tell us what it is like to be married?” Ludwig asked, placing his card onto the table, initiating the game. 

“What about it?” Alfred asked, “I love Arthur and he loves me, so we married. We are still King and Queen. Though…” Alfred smiled as his eyes narrowed, deep in thought. His heart fluttered when he remembered their sweet embrace that morning. “I get to fall asleep next to him, and wake up in the morning to him greeting me with a kiss…”

“Aw…” Ivan chuckled as Francis took in another mouthful of wine, why was he acting so odd? “How did the people react to your wedding?” 

“There were a lot of mixed responses. Some people saw it as a sign of moral corruption, whereas everyone saw it as something great,” Alfred explained. 

“When did you two decide that you were going to marry?” Ludwig asked, leaning his elbows against the table.

Alfred blushed slightly, feeling the buzz of alcohol lessen the control over his tongue. “As soon as I saw him, I knew that he was different, and he was as determined as I was to see the system change. You see, traditionally the Spades are very conservative and strict, Arthur and I were isolated from each other for so long… they didn’t let us meet until we had to learn together. Eventually we arranged to meet in the library after curfew, where we’d…”  
When thinking about their romantic nights in the library, where they would kiss until the sun rose, Alfred could not help but smile. 

“Ooooh!” Ludwig and Ivan cooed, loving the story. 

“Don’t get too excited, we only kissed!” Alfred swore, trying his best to hide his embarrassed blush. He could not help but blush as he thought about how many sleepless nights the young lovers had spent kissing in the privacy of the palace library. How beautiful Arthur looked in the moonlight, and how, for once, they were not afraid… “We never actually did anything until we were married!!” 

“AAHH!!” Ivan broke into laughter, “so cute! Spades were always so traditional when it came to that!” 

“I’m not giving you three any more details! I will need to be far drunker before I say anything else!” Alfred pointed out, lifting his hand, waving it as he spoke, before he pointed to the Aces, “I will have to be far more drunk before I reveal my marriage details to my brother!”

Alfred was almost tempted to reveal more; however, he knew that Arthur would become angry if he were to find out if Alfred revealed details about their intimacy. However, he couldn’t deny that he was tempted to see how Francis were to react if he did say anything more scandalous… However, his fear of Arthur’s anger prevailed and he kept his mouth shut. 

“He is your brother!?” Ivan asked, smiling widely, “my Ace is my sister!” Alfred smiled at the King of Clubs, overjoyed. 

“I feel so lucky, my husband is my Queen, my brother is my Ace and my friend is my Jack,” Alfred explained, “I am blessed.” 

“Haha,” Ivan chuckled, “you are lucky to have someone to hold at night. I am so envious.” 

“I know, I don’t know what I would do without Arthur, even now I am anxious without him by my side,” Alfred admitted, “Even thinking about him, my heart becomes heavy. When he looks at me I can’t think of anything else…” 

“Oh, you are hopelessly in love, aren’t you?!” Ludwig chuckled, “I’ve never heard of a King with such a thing… It’s refreshing… Gives hope to the rest of us.”

“Well,” Alfred smiled, raising his glass to initiate a toast, the other Kings followed suit and raised their glasses towards the centre of the table, “I hope you all find someone who loves you as much as Arthur loves me.” 

Alfred could not help but notice Francis’ face when he said that, his expression faltered and he looked as though he had just been physically hit. It was as odd as it was concerning, and it started the uneasy feeling in Alfred's stomach and heart all over again. Why was the King so sensitive, was he heartbroken over his own love? Alfred wanted to ask Francis whether talking about love brought back bad memories. Alfred tried his best to rationalise why Francis would be acting in such a way, it made no sense to Alfred. He has seen people behave happily and angrily towards Alfred and Arthur’s love, but never pained. What does this mean? 

It wouldn’t have something to do with Arthur, would it?


	3. Day Three - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment!

THE QUEEN 

Arthur purred as his lips lightly travelled up the sensitive and warm neck of his King, his hands running up Alfred’s arms before holding his hands, pressing them down into the pillow by Alfred’s head as he gasped, feeling Arthur deepen the kiss on his sensitive neck. 

“Arthur…” Alfred gasped, feeling Arthur use his teeth to hold Alfred’s skin in place as he sucked lightly, but stopped before he could leave an effective mark. Despite how much he wanted to, letting Alfred walk around littered with love-bites would be distasteful for the other monarchs. Alfred and Arthur must constantly think about their presentation. However, when they were alone, they could touch as much as they pleased.

“Oh~” Arthur cooed as he sat up, straddling his husband’s abdomen, getting a perfect view of the handsome man before him. As well as the vibrant and pigmented pink hue of this King’s cheeks, which was only extenuated by the powerful sunlight that flooded the bright room. It was truly a beautiful morning in the Diamond Kingdom, but what Arthur saw was more beautiful than that. “You’ve gone so red!” 

“You know I’m sensitive there,” Alfred whined, and without another word; Arthur laid back down and returned to Alfred’s neck, showering it with sweet kisses and licks, as he giggled mischievously, “Ah~!” 

“Mm,” Arthur murmured as he kissed up Alfred’s neck, making his way up to the King’s ears where he whispered, “But it’s so cute…”  
Alfred then took Arthur head, pulling him in for a kiss on the lips. 

When Arthur opened his eyes, he looked down at Alfred with a warm smile, to only see that Alfred’s eyes were hiding something. Arthur has seen this look before, and knew exactly what it meant. “What’s on your mind?” 

“Don’t worry, only thoughts.” 

“But it is still a thought, it’s still something you want to say,” Arthur explained as he laid his head against Alfred’s chest, staring at his love with wide doe-eyes, knowing that Alfred was weak to his stare. “Speak your mind.” 

“It’s silly, so please do not take it as judgment,” Alfred explained as he rubbed his eyebrows. 

“Of course.” 

Alfred was silent before he finally chose how he was going to approach the topic, “What do you think of King Francis?” 

“Francis? He’s friendly,” Arthur answered, frowning slightly, “He’s a nice man, why do you ask?” 

“As I said, it’s silly,” Alfred murmured, “There’s just something about him… it makes me uneasy. He’s been around you a lot, and he always becomes anxious whenever I come near.” 

Suddenly, Arthurs frown turned into a large smile, “Oh love, are you jealous?” Alfred turned his head to avoid Arthur’s stare with a pout, which only served to confirm Arthur’s suspicion. 

“He’s just around you a lot, and he’s always nervous around me, and the look on his face when I bring up our love concerns me.” Alfred pointed out, before shaking his head in dismissal, “I knew that it was silly.” 

“Well, we have never been around so many new people at once before, perhaps it is coming from that? Heh, perhaps you’re not used to sharing my attention.” 

“Surely it’s not that!” Alfred pointed out loudly, rolling his eyes as Arthur giggled. 

“Well, what else could it be?” 

“I don’t know, but there is something about him that makes me uneasy,” Alfred explained. 

“That’s jealousy,” Arthur pointed out, using his finger to play with the hair that laid across Alfred’s forehead, completely unbothered by the situation, clearly he isn’t seeing the same thing as Alfred, “It’s rather cute, albeit a little childish…” 

“Hey!” 

“Sorry,” Arthur chuckled, “But don’t worry, love. You’re all I need. You’re being paranoid to worry about him…” 

 

THE KING 

After finishing their breakfast, Alfred and Arthur decided to take a detour around the Diamond Palace, deciding to look around the stunning palace before meeting with Yao to discuss what they were going to do for the conference. Which starts in a few hours. They thought that it would be a simple and quick detour…  
However, they did not anticipate getting lost. 

“Yao is going to yell,” Arthur grumbled, as Alfred tightly held onto his hand. 

“Well, we are legitimately lost. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s sent Matthew out to find us, knowing him it won’t take very long,” Alfred replied. Knowing that his brother would soon be stalking the halls of the palace in search for them, Matthew had become very skilled in tracking down the royal couple. 

“Then shouldn’t we stay in the same place?” Arthur asked. “I’m sure we’ve seen this hallway before…” 

“But all the hallways look the same, it’s not like at home, where we can tell where we are by seeing the artwork,” Alfred pointed out. 

Now everything in the Diamond Palace was reminding Alfred of Francis, it was making him uneasy, he couldn’t stop thinking about his earlier concerns; even after Arthur’s reassurance. His heart was hurting as he thought about it, making him feel dizzy… Without thinking, Alfred lifted his arm and twirled Arthur underneath it, spinning him like they would in a dance. 

Alfred could tell that Arthur was growing more agitated and worried as the conference came closer, this was their chance to make the deals that will save their reign. Arthur has been consumed with not messing it up. Alfred could see the anxiety grow in Arthur’s eyes. 

“Tell me what’s worrying you,” Alfred exclaimed softly, knowing that letting Arthur discuss his worries always calmed him down. 

“We need to think about what we’re going to do when we get home… What if we don’t get enough? What if they don’t like what we do? What if---“

Alfred wanted to destroy all of Arthur’s worries, Alfred wants Arthur to not worry while they are away from their chaotic kingdom. Grinning like a bachelor, Alfred pushed Arthurs back against the nearest wall. He wanted his husband. 

Arthur gasped as Alfred pulled him in for a kiss, pushing against his chest in protest; stopping Alfred when he was so close, “SHH! ALFRED! NOT HERE!” 

“Why not?”

“Because we’re guests! Someone could walk by here!” 

Alfred stared down at Arthur and gave in to the temptation, he quickly planted a sweet kiss on Arthur’s soft lips, taking the hand that was pressed against his chest and moving it to Alfred’s heart, wanting Arthur to feel it over the fabric.  
Arthur hissed something as he broke the kiss, pushing away Alfred playfully, “we need to find Yao and sort out what we’re going to do about—“ 

However, Alfred was not easily deterred, and kissed him again, this time just to play with him. 

“Don’t worry, everything is going to be ok…” Alfred promised, “We’re going to have everything we need. They’re not going to hurt us.” Alfred smiled and licked his lips as he ran kisses down the side of Arthur’s face, “Shh…” 

“Oh lord, you are terrible, trying to kiss me here...” 

Despite the insult, Arthur was laughing, and Alfred chuckled in response, he planted another sweet kiss. 

“I know, I’m shocking.” 

“I can’t believe you.” 

“Come on, you love it, I know you do.” Alfred chuckled. 

However, he was taken by surprise as Arthur easily slid away from him before turning him around and playfully pushing him against the wall. Alfred shuddered as Arthur’s hands slid into his coat and felt his back. The Queen stood on his toes to be at eye level with Alfred as a sly smile crossed his thin lips. Without another word, Arthur went for the Kings neck with his lips, kissing the soft patch of neck with the same passion as he had that morning.  
Instantly Alfred could feel the heat engulf his cheeks like a forest fire, he could tell that he was already going red. “Look at you; you blush so much…” Arthur pointed out before resuming his actions. The Queens lips move across the sensitive skin of his Kings neck. As Arthur had pointed out, Alfred’s cheeks burned with a vibrant red, his lips quivered at his husband’s touch… 

Alfred was frowning and grunting at the sensation, biting his lips when Arthur deepened the kiss on his neck. Suddenly, Alfred’s eyes opened and he glanced to the side, making momentary eye contact with someone peering over from an intersection in the hallway. Alfred didn’t want to believe who it was when he saw them, he nearly didn’t want to believe it was anyone at all. But he saw the look of terror in his eyes: the eyes of the King of Diamonds. 

“Is someone there?” Alfred asked, and Arthur instantly stopped kissing his neck, instantly going as red as Alfred, but for a completely different reason. 

Finally, confirming Alfred’s suspicions, Francis walked around the corner with a charming smile on his face, acting as though he was amused. But Alfred could see the pain behind his practiced smile, and it did nothing but make him feel worse. At the sight of him, Arthur covered his face in embarrassment by burying his face in Alfred’s chest. At this, Francis’ expression faltered slightly, like he had just been hit with a whip, which made Alfred frown with confusion. 

“Was I interrupting something?” Francis asked confidently, smiling at Alfred, who only stared at him with narrowed eyes, deep in analytical thought. Why was Francis like this?

However, Alfred regained his calm composure and smiled at the other King, showing no sign of the eyes that wanted to tear Francis apart, “we apologise, we just got distracted.” 

“This is so embarrassing,” Arthur growled, before turning away from Alfred to face Francis, revealing his rosy cheeks, “we… we were wondering if you have seen our Jack.” 

“I’m sorry, Arthur, I’m afraid I haven’t,” Francis replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

And just like that, the King of Diamonds left as soon as he arrived, and in a hurry. Did Alfred scare him? Or was it something to do with Arthur? 

However, Alfred could not dwell on his feelings for too long, within minutes of their exchange with Francis, Matthew managed to track them down and bring them to the room that Yao had arranged for them to meet in. 

\---- 

After meeting with Yao and discussing what they were aiming to achieve during the conference, the group of Spades made their way towards the ballroom where the Conference is scheduled to take place. With their crowns on, Alfred and Arthur smiled at each other, reassured in their company. 

However, there was something that still bothered Alfred. Who looks at a married man like that, and becomes nervous when his husband is around? What kind of feelings are the Diamond King truly hiding? Ever since their encounter in the hallway, Alfred had begun to think that it isn’t a past love that is giving Francis pain, but a current one. Alfred must admit, Arthur is pleasing to the eye, but the idea of anyone else wanting to have Arthur makes him sick… Francis may be pain over something he cannot have. 

Alfred shook his head in disbelief, the King must truly be jealous as Arthur claimed, there is no way a King would lust for the Queen of another Kingdom?! Alfred tried to convince himself that his theory was childish and he is taking this too far out of proportion. But yet… It still bothered him enough to convince him to confide in his brother. 

Alfred slowed down and made eye contact with Matthew, letting him know to slow down too. Alfred and Matthew let Yao and Arthur have their own discussion in front of them, while Alfred and Matthew could talk together further behind. 

“You would watch Arthur more than anybody else, I want to know if I’m going crazy, but have you noticed anything odd about Francis?” Alfred asked. 

Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he bit his bottom lip, “Yes…” 

“So, you’ve seen it too?” Alfred asked, “I’m not being silly.” 

“He stares.” 

“I’ve noticed some of that.” 

“Well, I’ve noticed all of it,” Matthew murmured, “I can even see when he’s trying not to stare.” 

“I knew it.” Alfred grumbled, “I knew something was off about him.” 

“But we can’t let that ruin our position, I’m sure there’s a legitimate reason why Francis acts like that. It could mean nothing and we’re jumping to conclusions.” Matthew pointed out, “what do you think it is?”

“I’ll be honest with you, I think it’s lust or curiosity… But who would stare at a married man as much as he does if it doesn’t have something to do with that…?” Alfred grumbled, watching Arthur was he walked in front of him, his long and powerful royal blue cloak creating a regal silhouette, and his crown resting perfectly on his head. Alfred would destroy any man who dared to try to take Arthur away from him, even the thought of it was giving Alfred anxiety. 

“Hm…” Matthew murmured, “I can see where you’re coming from, but be careful: this is scandalous territory, and if you’re wrong this could mean the end for all of us.” 

\---- 

Finally, the time had come for the conference to begin; Alfred took a deep breath as he opened the doors to the conference hall, this year, the location of the conference was a grand ballroom, one of the many within the Diamond castle. Where four desks formed a circle and each was branded with the symbol of each kingdom and decorated with flowers to match the colours. The Ace of each kingdom stood behind the desks, each holding the signature weapon of the Kingdom, the Spades has a sword, the Clubs had a bow and arrows, the Hearts had a long double-edged spear and the Diamonds had a long-handled axe. The Aces watched each King, Queen and Jack take their places at their designated tables, signalling the beginning of the conference. 

It was Francis who stood first, following procedure he spoke about the importance of the conference in terms of fairness and negotiation, as well as its fundamental importance in maintaining peace and alliance between the four powerful Kingdoms. Alfred could not help but stare at him, and wonder… 

Vash, the Jack of Diamonds, rose after Francis sat down, reading from a script, he recalled the advancement of Diamonds and the desire to increase trading goods and metals. 

Roderich, the Jack of Clubs rose afterwards, and expressed the wishes of the Clubs to invest in grown development with the Diamonds, as well as intrigue to improve the relationship between the Clubs and the other Kingdoms. 

Yao went next, rising to announce the emergence of an industrial revolution occurring within the Kingdom, and issued a call for negotiations for grain, agriculture and food in order to support the Spades chances of success. And reminded them that the rewards for helping them would be beneficial. 

Finally, the Jack of Hearts, Feliciano, stood and announced that the Hearts mining boom would be beneficial for anyone hoping to industrialise; with a wink to the Spades. However, the attitude in the room changed when Feliciano announced that the Hearts are interested in getting back the land that was taken from them during the last war. All eyes went to the King and Queen of Clubs, whom stared at the Hearts with a glare of underlying anger and frustration. 

Alfred knew what he was going to do when the time came. 

“That territory has been associated with the Clubs for generations now, there is no point in giving it back since we have made so much use of it,” Ivan pointed out, “it’s rivers provide the little fish that the Kingdom of Clubs can get!” 

“If it is associated with the Clubs, why do so many people living in that territory consider themselves Heartlanders? My mother was born in that region, it is still Heart land!” Kiku pointed out. 

“The region was originally Heart territory, and when you return it, the Heartlands will be in unity again,” Ludwig added. 

“When?” Elizabeta asked, “You seem awfully bold King Ludwig. The land is completely utilised by the Clubs, there is no point in returning it if it will only boost morale!” 

“We call for a vote then,” Kiku announced. “In order to establish ownership of the Northern Mountains, the Hearts vote for: The Hearts.” 

Ivan smiled darkly at Kiku’s bold movement, “In order to establish ownership of the Northern Mountains, the Clubs vote for: The Clubs.”

“In order to establish ownership of the Northern Mountains,” Francis began, “The Diamonds choose to abstain. We acknowledge that our choice to abstain eliminates us from contributing to the decision and the results of that decision.” 

Alfred understood Francis’ choice to abstain, and he would have done it too, if it weren’t for the fact that this vote would place the Spades on the decision table, and they will have a say in how things end. Besides… Who they vote in favour of will be in gratitude to the Spades, and that could come in handy…

All eyes fell onto the King of Spades; Alfred sat comfortably in his chair, exerting the opposite attitude of everyone who sat beside him. Alfred was going to shake the very foundations of this conference and do something that no king has ever done before: place himself in the situation between two other Kingdoms. “In order to establish ownership of the Northern Mountains, the Spades vote for: The Hearts.” 

Like he anticipated, the room erupted in chaos, the Hearts were visibly happy, whilst the Clubs displayed the opposite, with Ivan being the most hurt snapping immediately at Alfred, “Why did you not abstain!?”  
It did feel bad to stab his friend in the back like this, but Alfred has a kingdom to think about and he cannot afford to place his heart over his duty. 

“Because we feel that it should go back to the Hearts!” Alfred responded, harshly. Perhaps it was true how the conference can bring out the worst of a Kings personality, Alfred could feel himself becoming more of a jerk after every second. 

“Now we can push it forward,” Ludwig announced, before looking to the Clubs, “either you give us the region back, or we will take it!” 

“Go on, do it, I dare you!” Elizabeta hissed. 

“Now that a decision has been reached, we are obliged to organise the outcome, however, since only three of us engaged in the vote, this has to be postponed,” Yao explained. 

“You’re proud of this, aren’t you?!” Ivan growled at Alfred. Alfred’s expression faltered when he saw the pain in Ivan’s eyes, but he could not take his decision back… Although, he feels bad about the fact that he’s just ruined his friendship with Ivan: Alfred reminded himself that he has to put his Kingdom first, Ivan would understand if he knew what danger the Spades faced at home, and how a favour with the Heart would be extremely helpful. 

“Why would I not be? We’re just stating our opinion: yours just happened to be unpopular. Besides, I wouldn’t pick a fight with us if I were you,” Alfred snickered. 

“You are not superior!” Ivan pointed out before looking behind Alfred, and at the Knight who stood behind him, “and I suggest that you tell your Ace to stop looking at me like that!” 

“You can tell yours the same thing,” Alfred hissed, staring at the girl who stood behind Ivan, holding her weapons with her eyes on Alfred, like she was aiming already. “Matthew can look at who he wants, he’s better than to attack … at least… not without my orders.” 

“Everyone calm!” Francis snapped, causing the room to fall to silence. “We should not let personal opinions interfere with the importance of the conference. The Spades, Clubs and Hearts will sort out the territorial claim later!”

“He’s right!” Arthur agreed, standing from his seat as well, “now, onto another matter, who is willing to invest in an industrial revolution? The Kingdom who chooses to commit the most to our cause will reap the same benefits as we do.” 

“It depends on what the benefits are…” Ivan grumbled, still bitter from the earlier exchange. 

“Boats that do not require wind, transport without horses, weaponry that utilises fire and power and tools that can revolutionise the way the clothing is made and how homes are run. Soon the Spades will be an industrial superpower; we just don’t want any of the other Kingdoms to be left behind…” Arthur continued. As he spoke, Alfred’s eyes glanced at Francis, and he could see the look on his face. 

Stare at him, Alfred thought, his emotions still running wild from his exchange with Ivan, I dare you. And like Alfred guessed, Francis did it, he looked at Arthur and the look in the Kings eyes told Alfred everything. Pushing Alfred more and more closer to his earlier conclusion. He looked at Arthur like he was looking at a fine piece of art, he could see Francis’ lips curl into a small smile: how dare he. 

“We are not asking for much, just some agreements to help keep the revolution on its feet.” Arthur finished. 

“What are you asking for?” Francis asked. 

“Simple, deductions on the prices we have to pay for supplies to come in, and in return, your kingdom will get the same prices on exports we develop because of the boom. As well as instructions on how to achieve the same things as us, in terms of structure and machinery.” Arthur explained, “I think that you are silly for not jumping at the change, no one wants to be left behind.” 

The room fell to silence as Kings and Queens consulted with their Jacks, deciding on whether they can afford to undertake the Spades offer. 

As Alfred predicated, King Ludwig spoke first, obviously wanting to express gratitude for the Spades decision, “we will assist, we shall offer to lower our price on coal. This can be disclosed later.” 

Alfred continued to stare at Francis, waiting for him to slip and stare again, but Alfred could tell that Francis has caught onto him. The Diamond King was looking everywhere but at the Spades table. 

Even the Clubs were tempted by the Spades proposal, mainly because the Spades had used the word ‘weaponry’, Alfred theorised. Arthur was right in saying that no one wants to be left behind. 

“The Kingdom of Diamonds offers assistance in terms of agriculture and grain sources,” Francis pointed out. 

The discussions lasted until the sun began to set, the sky changed outside the windows as the sun set in the distance. By the end of the conference, the Spades could consider themselves successful, as they managed to get deals and agreements sorted with everyone. However, thanks to Alfred’s interference, there was now a territorial dispute between the Clubs and Hearts and the Spades were going to get involved in the action: and therefore: the rewards. 

However, once the doors to the conference hall closed shut, all lips were sealed and all grudges were left behind, as it was not in good spirit for negotiations to continue during the ball.


	4. Day Three - Part Two

THE KING

“FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE REIGNING KING AND QUEEN OF THE KINGDOM OF SPADES!” 

The grand doors opened, revealing Alfred and Arthur to an amazing ballroom that was filled to the brink with an amazing crowd, who all cheered as Alfred and Arthur began to make their way down the red carpeted staircase. 

The ballroom was a reflection of the palace, beautiful and elegant. Golden and white walls decorated the dome shaped ballroom, making the roof appear as though it touched the sky. One side of the ballroom was lined with long burgundy curtains, creating a boarder from the balcony that was an extension of the ballroom. A large chandelier lit the entire ballroom from the centre of the dome roof. The Diamonds were certainly showing off their wealth by hosting the ball in this room. 

Alfred wore the royal blue cloak which was decorated with golden spades detail running along the hem, with a black and blue suit underneath. The crown rested perfectly on his head as he smiled to the crowd, reaching his hand to hold Arthurs as the couple began to walk down the stairs.   
Arthur wore a fine violet coat, with black lining underneath, golden spades detailing decorated the hem of the cloak and contrasted to the suit he wore underneath. As they walked down the stairs, their long cloaks trailed behind them.   
At the bottom of the staircase were the other monarchs, watching the new royals make their way down the stairs, symbolising the news Spades monarchs joining the other royals. 

Alfred and Arthur separated, before standing opposite each other on different sides of the staircase. Arthur was on the side of the Queens, and Alfred with the Kings.   
As it was customary for each King to share a dance with each Queen, for symbolism of unity between the Kingdoms.   
As the music began, the Kings spread out and formed a wide circle around the Queens, whilst the Queens stood shoulder to shoulder and walked in a circle, staring at each King they passed.

It was Queen Lili who came to dance with Alfred first, Alfred may have felt bitter towards the King, but he absolutely adored his adorable Queen. The short girl lifted her arms in order to place her hand on Alfred’s shoulder and put her other hand in his, waltzing to the music. With the music and clapping as a guide, every couple began to waltz in a large circle. 

“I am really sorry about disrupting the conference, I just couldn’t let the Hearts down,” Alfred explained, smiling down at the young girl. 

“It’s ok! Conferences are always intense! Now I understand why they are once a year! At least you and Arthur made it a little bit different!” She explained, with a bright and youthful smile on his face. No wonder Arthur adores her so much. 

“I just wanted to say that Arthur and I are having a great time here, I want to thank you for your hospitality,” Alfred explained. 

“That makes me so happy!” Lili exclaimed, with a smile that made Alfred’s heart melt. Alfred just wanted to scream about how cute she is. 

“Especially Arthur, he loves how kind your people are,” Alfred explained. Perhaps if he gets Arthur onto the good side of the Queen, he won’t need to deal with the King as much. “And he finds you absolutely lovely!” 

“That’s great! Arthur is a really kind man! He and I are going to have tea soon!” Lili explained, Lili waved like a child as she released herself from the waltz with Alfred, moving onto the next King, Ivan. “Thank you for dancing with me!” 

Alfred smiled as he turned around, and took Queen Kiku into a waltz, it was slightly easier to dance with him, as he was slightly taller than Lili. 

“I thank you on behalf of the Kingdom of Hearts for you actions in the conference,” Kiku began, not wasting any time. “We were thinking that no one would be brave enough to not abstain.” 

“Well, we had to take a stand, I was moved by your statements,” Alfred admitted, “And so was Arthur, so we discussed it with Yao and he agreed with it.” 

“You must expect to receive benefits from us, I assume.” 

“You aren’t wrong about that,” Alfred chuckled, “We do want some help…” 

“Anything to not make you regret your choice, however, I have to tell you to be careful,” Kiku explained, “We are not made of money.” 

“Don’t worry, I know. We are more than happy to sit down and discuss it with you three.” 

“We are looking forward to it,” Kiku smiled as he left Alfred and moved onto the next King, and to his dread, Queen Elizabeta took her place in his arms. Alfred was terrified that the beautiful woman was going to step on his feet. 

“I should warn you, Ivan is seething over the vote,” Elizabeta explained. 

“I understand that, but we had to do something.” 

“Well, if the Hearts managed to plea with you, then I may as well too,” Elizabeta sighed, “Ivan came from a very poor fishing family before his King-mark was discovered and so he is passionate over this issue. And the river within the Northern Mountains is one of the only sources of fish for the entire Kingdom, considering how many rivers are frozen. People will starve without access to that river. Think about what you are doing and whose lives you are affecting.” 

Alfred stared into the Queens beautiful eyes, and he did begin to regret his decision. However, his decision to support the Hearts was not only based on his own feelings, but about what the Hearts could offer the Spades, that the Clubs couldn’t. That was the deciding factor of the vote.

“Well, we will all have an opportunity to talk about it, I’m sure we can work out something,” Alfred promised hopefully. 

“We don’t want to fight to protect our people, but if you push us too hard, I’m scared of what we will do,” Elizabeta admitted as she danced away, leaving Alfred with a cold feeling in his heart.   
Which was instantly warmed by Arthur’s eyes, as the Queen danced towards him. Of course, Alfred noticed Francis’ eyes follow him as Arthur returned to Alfred and instantly, he fell perfectly into Alfred’s arms. He was where he belonged, and Alfred was not going to let him go anywhere. 

\----- 

As the night dragged on, the Kings and Queens socialised over drinks and music. With his arm around Arthur, the royal couple happily spoke with nobles from every Kingdom, slowly, Alfred and Arthur came to understand what kind of lives people in different Kingdoms lived. Everything amazed Alfred and Arthur, from the descriptions of the frozen Club landscape, to the beautiful trees of the Heartlands the bloomed pink flowers. 

Everyone smiled as a choir took their places at the top of the stairs, with the youngest of the choir members standing before the adults, all decorated with the symbols of each Kingdom painted on their rosy cheeks. Their voices echoed through the ball room as they sang along with a band that played at the base of the stairs, playing multiple instruments with such skill and grace, it was heavenly to listen to. 

Alfred was only pulled from Arthur’s side when Matthew wanted to speak to him privately. The young man wore a dark suit of armour with his metal chest-plate having a Spade engraved on it, with a dark blue cloak covering his back and shoulders. 

“Yao wanted me to tell you that your actions have caused a stir with the Clubs.” 

“That’s understandable.”

“He wants you to talk more with Ivan and Elizabeta tonight, you need to patch the relationship,” Matthew explained. 

“Alright, I’ll do what I can tonight,” Alfred explained, “does he want me to tell Arthur?” 

“Arthur isn’t the one who’s upset them,” Matthew sighed, “while we need the Clubs less, we still need a good relationship with them.” 

“Well, they don’t want a bad relationship with us either,” Alfred pointed out, “We’re the ones with the industrial revolution. But fine, I’ll try to make it up to them.” 

“Good, I can even try to be kinder to Natalia,” Matthew chuckled. 

“Did you notice anything else with Francis?”

“Nothing other than the usual, I think he’s onto us. He’s being sneaky.” 

“Bastard.” 

“But the more I see the more I have to agree. There’s something going on. He’s hiding something, and it’s about Arthur.” 

“Urh!” Alfred grunted. “I think he wants Arthur…” 

“Wants?” 

“You know what I mean.” 

“But, can you be sure?” 

“I can feel it. He looks at Arthur and I know what he’s thinking because I think it too. He’s making me sick just thinking about it!” Alfred hissed, hating the pain inside of his heart as he thought more and more about it, and how clearer it became. Everything suddenly made sense, the way he stared, the way he acted and the way he made Alfred feel. He could imagine what scandalous and lude thoughts went through Francis’ mind when he looked at Arthur. “He wants to have Arthur, he’s lusting for him, I can see it! He doesn’t care that I am right there!” 

“Alfred, do not speak so loudly. You know what would happen to him if you say stuff like this and more people found out!” Matthew explained. 

And suddenly, Alfred’s eyes widened as the seed of an idea was planted in Alfred’s mind, “He’d be destroyed…” 

“Oh no…” Matthew moaned. “Alfred, no.” 

“No, no, I won’t say anything. But think about it… Think about how hard Francis will want us to not say anything if this is true.” 

“I cannot agree with this. As your Ace, as your friend and as your brother, I have to disagree with you. You can’t do anything until you know for sure, because if you are wrong, it will destroy us.” 

Alfred sighed, seeing Matthew’s point, he cannot let his ambition ruin him and his Kingdom, too much is at risk if he is wrong.   
“Do you think that Arthur has noticed?” Matthew asked. 

“I hope not. He sees him as a friend…” Alfred explained, “this morning he told me to not worry about him, he isn’t seeing what I’m seeing. He sees Francis’ advances as kind gestures.” 

“Oh no…” Matthew gasped, looking past Alfred with a terrified expression. Alfred quickly to see a sight that nearly stopped his heart. 

As though on cue, Francis seems to have taken advantage of Alfred’s absence from Arthur’s side. That sneaky bastard…   
Arthur was in his arms, with Francis’ hand resting on Arthur’s back, holding Alfred’s Queen close as they waltzed. Arthur’s eyes were wide as he stared into Francis’, but he was smiling innocently. Alfred could tell that the Queen was completely unaware of what Alfred had just figured out. 

This did nothing but confirm all of Alfred’s theories, the way the King of Diamonds stepped into Arthur. He was holding him far tighter than he should, and it was driving Alfred crazy.   
Suddenly the music rose in intensity and the choir sung loudly, the adult’s deep voices echoing throughout the entire ball room like thunder. 

Suddenly Francis stepped into Arthur, guiding Arthur’s waist into him as the Queen bent backward, smiling at the joyful dance move. Alfred wanted to scream as he watched Arthur look up at him as Francis slowly guided Arthur’s back up toward his face, however, he went too far and their noses nearly touched. 

“How dare he…” Alfred growled, before looking to Matthew, “Hold me back.”

“You won’t actually attack him, will you?” Matthew asked. 

“I don’t know…” Alfred growled. 

But his voice told Matthew his answer, and the Kings brother pressed his armoured forearm against Alfred’s chest, effectively preventing him from taking any steps further.   
Arthur twirled under Francis’ arm before being pulled in again where they resumed the waltz. 

The other dancers made room for the King and Queen as they danced so gracefully, disturbing them would be considered a sin. Most were amazed by the sight of the two kingdoms uniting through a dance, and were happy to see the change, as usually royals stuck to dancing with their own. This sight enraged Alfred, he wanted nothing more than to take Matthew’s sword and march over there and expose Francis for the deviant that he was. 

The dancefloor became a sea of gold and deep blue as their clothes danced behind them as they span together.   
As though to slap Alfred in the face, Francis dipped him Arthur again, but for longer this time, Arthur lifted his head and looked up at Francis as the Kings hands supported his back. Alfred could see the look in Francis eyes, he was looking at Arthur like he was a conquest, something to be devoured, Alfred could only imagine what Francis wanted to do to him, and it ate Alfred inside… Slowly Arthur rose again, pulling Francis into him in order to prevent himself from falling to the floor, Francis must have done that on purpose.  
The way that Francis was lying to Arthur, pretending to be his friend when he only wanted to bed him was making Alfred feel sick. His husband was completely unaware that he was in the arms of a predator. 

Alfred could finally breathe again when the music slowed and Arthur released himself from Francis’ grip, smiling at Alfred as he made his way back to him. But then, Francis said something that caught Arthur’s attention. However, it did not last long, as Arthur quickly turned around and returned to Alfred. 

“Did you see that?!” Arthur asked, “no King has ever danced with another Queen before. Things are already starting to change!” 

“Right…” Alfred murmured, unable to help but feel heartbroken, how is Arthur not seeing these ulterior motives? 

However, Alfred could see Francis look at them from the corner of his eye, before escaping back into the crowd, making his way past the burgundy curtains. This could be Alfred’s chance. 

Alfred smiled down at Arthur before planting a kiss on Arthur’s lips, reminding himself that Arthur is his husband, and he must protect him.

And so, like nothing had happened, the Spades continued to talk with the other monarchs. Francis had not returned from behind the burgundy curtains, and Alfred was itching to confront him. It was during a conversation with the Hearts when Alfred saw his chance. 

“Distract Arthur for me, please.” Alfred whispered to King Ludwig as he made his way past, talking advantage of the Hearts gratitude to the Spades for voting in their favour.   
Ludwig nodded as Alfred walked past, motioning for Matthew to follow him. He could hear Arthur starting to follow, however, Ludwig quickly got in his way, starting a conversation, with the help of Kiku and Feliciano. Alfred knew that they were going to keep him busy for a while, Arthur liked their company. 

Alfred took a deep breath as he stood in front of the burgundy curtains, knowing that Francis was on the other side, and he was not going to let him get away with this.   
“Stay here,” Alfred ordered to Matthew, “but keep close, I may call you to stand guard.” 

“Do what you need to, but be careful, please.” 

Alfred nodded before making his way past the thick burgundy curtains, only to be greeted by the cooling spring wind and the beautiful moon. As he expected, Francis was standing by the railing, and as soon as he turned around and learned of Alfred’s presence, he looked absolutely terrified. 

“Alfred—“ 

“Lovely night, isn’t it?” Alfred asked, aiming to intimidate Francis with his confident smile, like he wasn’t thinking about ending the King where he stood. Despite his conversation starter, Alfred could tell that Francis knew that the evening weather was the last thing on the young King’s mind… 

“The Spring is a nice season…” Francis stuttered, trying his best to not sound as terrified as he felt, “It’s no wonder what the conference is held during this time of year.” 

“The sea is calm, the sky is clear and the flowers greet us every day…” Alfred continued. “The night is more forgiving.”

“I see,” Francis agreed, keeping his gaze away from Alfred. 

“Arthur and I married this time last year,” Alfred pointed out; narrowing his eyes curiously. Alfred was testing him, he wanted to see just how badly his marriage to Arthur hurt Francis. Alfred had something that Francis didn’t, and he was going to suffer. “We danced under the light of the moon as paper lanterns were released into the night sky… He looked so beautiful…”   
No one can love Arthur like Alfred can, and he was determined to keep it that way. 

“How sweet…” Francis whispered. Alfred could tell; the King was crumbling. 

“We married less than a week after our coronation, we were so lucky to have a Jack who was supportive of our relationship,” Alfred explained. 

“That is lucky.” 

“But… I…” Alfred sighed, “I can’t lose him…” 

“Oh?”

“Our own courtiers and advisors tried to keep us apart; we would be escorted away before we could talk and forced apart... In the name of tradition they tried to use us like puppets… We are never going to allow anyone do that to us ever again!” Alfred grumbled, tightening his hands into fists as his voice cracked, such painful memories only made this experience worse. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you two,” Francis apologised. 

“The night we married was when we decided that we were going to change the world; we were going to face the challenges that other monarchs wouldn’t, regardless of what tradition says. Inspire innovation and stop at nothing,” Alfred explained; the Alfred took a deep breath and crossed his arms, before snapping at Francis in a louder voice. He was going in for the kill. “However, affairs are not going to be one of them!!” 

Francis gasped as he turned to look at Alfred, his eyes wide with anxiety: knowing that he had been caught and was caught off-guard by Alfred’s boldness, “I—“

“You’re not good at controlling your wandering eyes,” Alfred continued, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth as he spoke, becoming angrier the longer he looked at the Diamond King. 

“It isn’t like that!” Francis replied, putting his hands up in defence as he took a step away from the young King, fearful of his fists. “I s-swear!” 

“Spare me!” Alfred hissed, “You become anxious around him, you become even more so when I am there too. You stare at him like a wolf as he walks away! You stare at him constantly! You just… you make my blood boil with the way you look at him and the way you talk to him! I can only imagine what you are thinking!” After his outburst, Alfred took a deep breath as he straightened his back and glasses before he looked to the curtains that separated the Kings from the rest of the ball. “Matthew!”   
Accordingly, Matthew stepped out from behind the curtain. Alfred ordered, “Guard the doors, let no one interrupt us.” The Ace bowed his head, before silently retreating back into the curtains. 

Francis struggled to find the words to say, he stood defenceless as Alfred’s deadly blue eyes darted back to look at him, darkened with anger. “Alfred…” 

“Don’t.” Alfred hissed, “Arthur told me I was being paranoid to worry about you, just because he hadn’t caught you! But that dance only proved me right! You do have another motive!” 

“Where is he now?” Francis asked, peering back to the curtains, “He was looking for you, he said that he—“ 

“Don’t try to play innocent!” Alfred spat, cutting Francis off, “If you must know, he is talking with the Hearts. Heh… It’s amazing what a King with gratitude is willing to do. Arthur doesn’t know anything about this, yet.” 

“I’m sorry—“ 

“No, you’re not,” Alfred hissed, “I can see it when you look at him, even knowing when I have caught you! And then you dance with him like … THAT! You disgust me! What kind of man do you think Arthur is!? He would never throw away his morals like that! How dare you! Your eyes are not subtle, I know what you want to do to him, and if you dare to go near him again, I will ruin you!”   
Francis looked into Alfred eyes to see that the young King was enraged, and on the verge of physical violence. But yet, Francis didn’t say anything, he looked as though he was listening to someone else.   
Alfred became agitated by Francis’ silence, “Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?! Are you not even going to deny it?!” 

“I can’t…” Francis sighed. 

“You are disgusting.” Alfred spat, “Your lust has gotten the better of you… Going after someone who is married, you have no morals…” 

“It wasn’t lust…” Francis murmured, struggling to speak clearly, “I… I just…” 

“Come on! Speak to me!” Alfred growled. 

“I did not mean to intrude on your marriage; I don’t want to put the relationship between our Kingdoms at risk!” 

Alfred chuckled at the irony, he would make a joke about that if he wasn’t so pissed off, “then in that case, you should be glad that it was me who figured you out first. If Arthur had noticed and if he hadn’t seen your advances as kind gestures… He would have seen you for what you really were. He would have destroyed you and I would have agreed with him. However… we cannot afford to be selfish. Ironically, we need your Kingdom.” Francis was in shock, unable to speak, unable to think clearly, and so Alfred continued to talk.   
“Heh… Arthur is much more hot-headed than I am. If he were in my position, he would be screaming and cursing at you. He takes his loyalty seriously, how dare you even think about taking him away from me…” 

“Alfred, I swear that I—“ 

“Oh stop it. Admit it, give me the satisfaction of telling me that I am right about you. I was right to assume that you were suspicious, I was right to not wanting to leave you alone with him! I was right!” 

“No.” 

“NO!?” Alfred snapped, becoming enraged enough the strike Francis, however, the young King held himself back, “What else is there that I don’t have! I have figured you out! You disgust me! What kind of man are you?!”  
Francis did not say anything, which only enraged Alfred more, and so Alfred had no issues with confronting Francis with everything he had, “You sick man! You are full of shame! Why would you lust for someone who is married!? Yes, I understand that Arthur is beautiful, but that does not give you the right to look at him like you do! And how dare you disrespect me as well! Are you even listening to me!? You bastard! LISTEN TO ME!” 

Suddenly, some force overtook Francis and he snapped at Alfred, “I’m in love with him!” 

Francis’ eyes widened when he realised what had just come out of his mouth, and Alfred fell silent, caught off guard. 

Alfred almost felt his heart stop… why did he just say love… 

No… No, he can’t love Arthur. That’s impossible… No… 

“I said nothing about love…” Alfred gasped, recoiling in shock, “what are you talking about love for?! This can’t be true!! Take that back!!” 

“I… I can’t…” 

 

THE QUEEN

Arthur had finally escaped from the Hearts, why were they acting so odd…? Granted, Ludwig, Feliciano and Kiku were lovely people, and Arthur does enjoy their company, but it felt so forced. They refused to let the conversation end. And they happened to do it as soon as Alfred disappeared, does he have something to do with this.   
Arthur started to become anxious… Something felt wrong, what was Alfred doing? Where was he?! It couldn’t have something to do with Francis, surely? Alfred can’t be that jealous, can he?   
Finally, Arthur spotted Matthew, and it only made him feel worse. 

Matthew was in guard-mode. He held onto the handle of his sword tightly and his eyes were narrow. He looked as though he would attack anyone who came too close. Matthew had changed from a kind an approachable man, to a guard-dog. Arthur knew that he only did this by order, and there’s only one other person who could have issued this order.   
Arthur tried to push his way past Matthew, but the Ace did not budge, he was even avoiding eye contact with the Queen. 

“Move, Matthew!” Arthur snapped. 

“I’m sorry, Arthur, he ordered me,” Matthew sighed. 

“Let me through! That is an order! I don’t care what he said!” Arthur hissed, before he got into Matthew’s face, “Would you rather deal with disobeying Alfred, or disobeying me?” Matthew breathed deeply before stepping aside, letting Arthur march pass, “That’s what I thought.” 

Arthur saw Alfred and Francis standing by the balcony railing, and Arthur marched over. 

“Alfred!” Arthur exclaimed as he marched towards his husband. Arthur looked at Francis as he stood by Alfred, “I apologise for that. However, Alfred, you just disappeared!” 

“I’m so sorry, Darling…” Alfred whispered, caressing Arthur’s cheek before hooking his arm around Arthur, pulling him in tightly, much to Arthur’s confusion. 

“Darling? You’ve never called me that,” Arthur murmured as Alfred grasped him tightly, practically pressing Arthur into his side. Something felt wrong. “What are you two talking about? Matthew was in guard-mode… what is…?“  
Arthur’s voice trailed off with confusion, realising that Francis was staring at him with pain in his eyes. Something was terribly wrong. 

“Francis and I were just talking,” Alfred announced, smiling at Arthur, “we made an agreement.” 

“We did?” Francis asked.

“Mm~” Alfred chuckled as he looked at Arthur, taking his husbands hand and holding it to his chest, making sure that Arthur could feel his heartbeat, something they only did in private. “Remember when Francis agreed to assist us with grain?” 

“Yes,” Arthur agreed, before glancing at Francis. 

“He is going to help us as much as he can,” Alfred explained with a wide smile on his face, “He’s going to give us our imports from the Diamond Kingdom at half the price.” 

“WHAT?!” Francis and Arthur gasped together, both staring at the young King as if he was mad. However unlike Francis, Arthur was smiling. 

“Francis!” Arthur cried, “you honestly cannot be agreeing to this! This is practically robbery!!” 

“I…” Francis murmured, before stating. “We need to speak about this!” 

“Oh, Francis…” Arthur sighed, smiling, “please think about this agreement… I know it is a large ask; but it would help us so much, we need it.” 

“I’ll see what I can do. I may have said it in the joy of the moment,” Francis explained.

Arthur smiled widely as he extended his hand to Francis, Francis’ trembling hand took Arthur’s and shook it lightly. 

“Well, we will discuss it tomorrow then, let’s return to the ball,” Alfred explained, coaxing Arthur into his arms, “now, where is that dance that you promised me?” 

Arthur smiled at Alfred, taking his hand, but not before looking at Francis as his husband began to try to lead him away, “Do you mind?” 

“No, not at all…. Please, enjoy your night,” Francis replied as he stepped away from the married couple, letting them walk back towards the ball room. With their backs to them, Arthur could feel Alfred run his hand down Arthur’s back, feeling him, his fingers extended over Arthurs hips before Arthur shuddered, as he felt Alfred’s hands get closer to a very intimate place, Arthur wanted to slap Alfred for his rudeness, why would he do that in front of another King?! 

However, in favour of not appearing harsh, Arthur laughed in response to Alfred’s advance, “Watch your hands, sir!” 

\---- 

Quickly, Alfred escorted Arthur to the dancefloor and took him into his arms. And instantly, all of their anxieties faded away as they stared into each other’s eyes.   
With their cloaks on, no one could see their hands travel across each other’s bodies, as they held each other tightly and swayed to the music. 

Alfred and Arthur danced slowly, smiling at each other as though the rest of the world didn’t exist and all hope laid in the other’s eyes. It was as though all of Alfred’s anger had disappeared as he looked down at Arthur, before bending down to kiss him softly. 

Arthur responded positively, wrapping his arms over Alfred’s shoulders, remembering to end their kiss before it became too scandalous. They moved slowly and took small steps, barely moving from their spot. When their kiss ended, Arthur closed his eyes and rested his head on Alfred’s shoulder, smiling as though he was about to fall asleep. 

“I love you,” Alfred whispered, “I love you so much.”


	5. Day Four

THE KING 

“ALFREEDDDD!!!” Arthur roared from the bathroom. 

Alfred looked to the door to the bathroom, to watch from the bed as Arthur marched from the bathroom, holding his bathroom robe open, completely flashing Alfred. Alfred couldn’t help but smile when he saw the collection of bruises and red love-bites that littered Arthur’s entire neck and collarbone and lightly scattered around his chest. Alfred's eyes narrowed as he noticed that even a few prominent love-bites on Arthur's milky inner thighs made it through the night. They were the reminders that Arthur belonged with Alfred in the most intimate of ways, and no one was going to get between them. However, Arthur’s face looked less than impressed, his cheeks were bright red and his eyes narrowed with fury. 

“What’s wrong?” Alfred asked jokingly, “they look lovely…”

“Excuse you! I can’t walk around like this!” Arthur hissed, “Look how many there are!! URH!”

“Yes~” Alfred grumbled as he sat up in the bed as Arthur paced around the bedroom, becoming more and more panicked by the second, “but you must admit that last night was good.” 

“Yes, last night was brilliant, but I’m covered in love-bites! I can’t show myself to the other royals like this! I'll have to wear something with a high neck!” Arthur hissed. Alfred sighed as he slid out of bed and walked over to Arthur, placing his hands on the side of Arthur’s face tilting it upward so he could get a better look at his handy-work. His heart raced as he saw all of the purple, red and brown marks that littered Arthur’s neck, and envisioned his lips meeting with a clear patch of skin right in the centre of Arthur’s neck and add another one. He remembered how beautiful Arthur sounded when he gave him those marks last night…  
Alfred had to admit, he did have an ulterior motive behind his urge to litter Arthur with love-bites… He could only imagine the pain on Francis’ face when Alfred reminds him of Alfred’s marital privileges to Arthur. Like the young, ambitious and vengeful man he was. 

Now that Alfred knows the Kings secret, there is nothing he won’t do to make him suffer for it. How dare King Francis claim to be in love with Arthur, he cannot possibly understand who Arthur is and what he has been through. He cannot love Arthur like Alfred does. 

Alfred held on tightly to Arthur’s hand as they made their way down to the breakfast hall. 

Arthur tried very hard to keep his neck covered, he wore a deep blue tunic with a golden sash tied around his waist and his neck was completely covered by his black undershirt. A long cloak blanketed his entire body, appropriate for the weather as the cloak appeared to be very warming, with white fur lining the hem. Alfred’s cloak matched Arthurs, but he wore his normal suit underneath.  
If it had been Alfred’s choice, Arthur’s marks would be shown off, like a second wedding ring, he wanted to remind everyone who even laid eyes on Arthur that he belonged with someone, and they had no hope in taking him away.  
Alfred smiled knowing that if anyone looked close enough, they’d be able to see at least a couple of love-bites at the top of Arthur’s throat. To the Queens dismay, his high-necked shirt didn’t cover all of them, and that gave Alfred at least a little bit of pleasure. 

Alfred was blinded by his anger towards King Francis, he wanted nothing more than to make the man suffer, no matter how much he apologised or begged, Alfred wanted to see him on his knees. How dare he say that he loved Arthur! How dare his disrespect their relationship! Alfred did nothing but respect him since the moment they met, but the entire time, the King of Diamonds had wandering eyes for Alfred’s queen.  
Alfred wanted Francis to fear him, and to regret ever crossing their paths. 

And it just so happened that the King of Diamonds has what the Kingdom of Spades needs. Alfred has the ultimate power over the Kingdom of Diamonds. With one whisper, he has the power to ruin Francis’ reign and diminish his reputation. No Kingdom will want to trust the Diamonds if such a scandal was released. Another King looking beyond his Kingdom for love, lust or whatever sin is absolutely shameful. Especially when it is directed at another monarch. Alfred felt disgusted that it was his Arthur whom was the subject of such affection. He wanted Arthur to be oblivious to it, he knew how Arthur would react, especially after forming a friendship with the Diamond Monarchs. 

As soon as the doors to the breakfast hall opened, Alfred smiled when he saw Francis, purposefully avoiding his harsh stare. Alfred just couldn’t resist in having joy at watching the man struggle.  
With the Spades near the table, Lili rose to immediately speak to Arthur, like she was greeting a new best friend. Francis smiled at this sight, until Alfred’s poisonous glared scared him off. 

“Good morning~” Alfred chuckled as he took the seat next to Francis, and Alfred could feel the Diamond King tense. Everyone was smiling at Alfred as he spoke to the people around him, and Alfred acted perfectly casual, whilst completely ignoring Francis’ presence, Alfred wanted Francis’ anxiety to linger. 

Francis remained silent as the Alfred, Arthur, Lili, Elizabeta and Kiku discussed yesterday’s events, with reference to Arthur’s idea of the Clubs returning the Northern Mountains to the Hearts in instalments and organise a fishing agreement. 

“Heh, I’m glad that you two liked Arthur’s idea,” Alfred said, smiling with pride as Arthur chuckled, standing beside him. Finally, Alfred turned to look at Francis, “Yao said that the six of us should meet straight after breakfast.” 

“Right…” Francis mumbled before taking a sip of tea. Alfred had to admit that he purposefully ordered Yao to arrange for the meeting with the Diamonds to happen first, he wanted to get all of he could out of Francis as soon as possible. He was blinded by his anger, and was more than happy to abuse the Diamonds sovereignty in order to protect Arthur and get what his Kingdom needs. 

Eventually the Hearts and Clubs left the dining room together, intending to begin their final discussions regarding trade. It is later on in the day when he Spades will join them to discuss the agreement regarding the Northern Mountain region. As soon as they left, Arthur stood by the table, looking down at Alfred and Francis. 

“Alfred, Lili wishes to show us the garden, perhaps all four of us can go?” Arthur suggested. 

“We’re fine, Francis and I are just going to talk,” Alfred replied before flashing a smug smile. He just couldn’t resist the sinful and mean idea that swam around in his imagination. He couldn’t help but to give in to his childish desire to tease the King of Diamonds, “my hips are still sore from last night… I can only imagine how you are feeling…” 

Francis’ eyes widened, realising exactly what Alfred was talking about… 

“Alfred!” Arthur hissed as his face blushed with a bright red hue, knowing exactly what Alfred was suggesting as well. Upsetting Arthur is a risk that Alfred is willing to take to ensure that Francis’ heart breaks… 

“Well it is true… We did do a lot last night… on the dancefloor and off…” Alfred continued, occasionally glancing over at Francis, making sure that the Diamond King was getting the message. If he needed too, Alfred would have happily explained exactly what illicit activity he was talking about in excruciating detail… however… Francis didn’t deserve the privilege of even imagining it…. 

“But—Ohh, you are unbelievable…” Arthur growled, rubbing his forehead with his hand in irritation. Arthur was getting upset, like any husband would when the other runs their mouth: but it was a risk that Alfred was happy to take, as he can always hug him and kiss him in apology… 

“Oh, it’s ok, Francis wouldn’t get it…” Alfred muttered, turning his head to look at Francis with those narrow eyes, showing Francis that Alfred’s anger was still alive: and in full effect. He was not going to let the King of Diamonds forget… Alfred wanted to tease the man like a child, and he was loving it. 

Arthur was brave and laughed through his embarrassment, “If you keep talking like that, love, you won’t get any more! But fine, I will see you two before the meeting then.” 

Just one more thing… Just to rub the salt in the wound…  
As Arthur turned away, Alfred jumped out of his seat and took Arthurs arm, before pulling him in for a kiss. Holding him by the arm, Alfred felt Arthur tense as Alfred passionately kissed Arthur on the lips, more passionate than they have ever dared to do publicly. After a couple of seconds, Arthur pushed Alfred away from him, frowning at Alfred’s over-affection and surprised by his behaviour. 

“I love you,” Alfred chirped, however Arthur continued to frown at him, noticing that something is wrong. 

“I love you too,” Arthur murmured as he pulled himself out of Alfred’s grip, “but you are acting so strange…” 

Alfred smiled at Arthur as he began to sit back at his seat, watching Arthur as he walked away. However, once Arthur left Alfred snapped his head to look at Francis with those same angry eyes. “Are you paying attention now?” 

“What do you want?” Francis grumbled as he glanced over at the Ace’s, with Antonio leaving to escort Lili and Arthur, whilst Matthew continued to stand guard, Alfred knew that Matthew was going to keep an eye on Francis as well. 

“I’m going to make you regret laying your eyes on Arthur,” Alfred admitted, “and ensure my Kingdom success at the same time. What are you willing to do to keep me quiet?”

“Anything.” 

Alfred could tell that Francis has finally made his choice, while it is true that a financial deal with the Spades would damage his Kingdom: the struggle would be temporary. Whereas if Alfred was to expose Francis’ wandering heart, his Kingdoms reputation would be ruined for his entire reign: he would be shamed, his alliances with the Spades would be dissolved, and no other Kingdom would trust him. It would ruin his Kingdom if the truth came out. 

“Right,” Alfred murmured, “you have my silence, as long as you keep to your promises. I like the idea that I proposed last night, the fifty percent off the price of grain. Although I will admit that it was ambitious and greedy.” 

“Please… think about that one, think about what is possible for me,” Francis pointed out.

“Heh… I’m sure that you can make the impossible happen…” Alfred chuckled. 

“My Jack and Queen would never agree to it. I doubt that yours will either,” Francis added. 

“No… Arthur was overjoyed when I said it last night and Yao knows a good deal when he sees one,” Alfred hissed, “Besides, I’m sure that your Queen and Jack would agree if they were to find out…” 

“You wouldn’t dare…” Francis growled, unafraid to stare at the King of Spades in the eyes. “I am not a threat to your marriage; you don’t need to do this!” 

“This isn’t just about my marriage!” Alfred snapped, “I have the power to give my Kingdom the best, so I am going to deliver it!” 

“But at the expense of my people? Fifty percent is something that not even I can manage!” Francis sighed, “What I feel for Arthur is my sin; it is not something that my people should have to suffer for as well.” 

Momentarily, Alfred’s cold and harsh demeanour faltered, somewhat sympathising with Francis’ plea. Alfred scoffed before crossing his arms over his chest. “I suppose that asking for fifty percent is too much…” 

“Yes, yes, it is,” Francis agreed, happy to finally reach the King of Spades. 

“But I want something close; my silence is going to cost you a lot. I’m never going to forget what you did, you made a mistake and you are going to regret it.” 

Francis sighed, “I already do.” 

“That’s funny that you say that. But I saw the way you looked at him this morning; it was as if my words meant nothing.” 

“Alfred, I assure you—“ 

“Is everything ok over here?” Yao asked as he and Vash approached the two Kings. 

“We’re fine!” Alfred beamed; completely masking the anger that he was showing just seconds earlier. “We were actually just discussing the Diamond contribution, Francis is more than happy to help.” 

“Then I suppose we should start the meeting then,” Vash agreed. 

“Matthew, do you mind going to collect Arthur and Lili, they are in the gardens?” Yao asked. 

Matthew bowed his head silently, before walking towards the door, his blue cloak flowing behind him as he walked with powerful steps. 

Alfred could feel Francis' anxiety radiating as the Kings and Jacks made their way to one of the small meeting rooms.  
And when they finally arrived, the doors opening felt like the final nail was being hammered into Francis’ coffin, and Alfred was excited, he had truly been blinded in his quest for Francis to suffer for his wandering eye. 

The meeting room was small compared to most of the offices in the Diamond castle, it was lit by a small chandelier that hung in the centre of the room, above a rectangular desk. When the last of the group finally arrived, everyone sat down, with the Spades sitting on one side of the desk, and the Diamonds on the other, whilst the Aces stood behind their monarchs, like hawks watching over them. 

“Now, we are detailing the agreement between the Kingdom of Diamonds and the Kingdom of Spades, addressing the contribution that the Diamonds will make towards the industrial advancement of the Spades, and what will be given to them in return for their cooperation.” Yao explained as he wrote on a piece of paper; beginning to write the contract. “In accordance to tradition, I must read out the rules as follows: only the King and Queen of each represented Kingdom can sign or annul an agreement. An agreement can only be signed with the agreement of both Kings and Queens, no Jack has the authority to contribute to a signing or annulment. A Jack is only allowed to advise the steps that the King and Queen can take: but cannot influence or finalise the agreement.” 

 

THE QUEEN

With the rules read and the statuses and goals of each Kingdom disclosed, the discussions between the Kings and Queens of Spades and Diamonds could commence.  
Arthur couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong, Alfred has been acting strange ever since last night. The normally conservative Alfred has had his hands all over Arthur, kissing him, marking him with love-bites with every chance he got… Even last night as they made love after the ball, Alfred was different, he was aggressive and persistent, the love-bites that littered Arthur's neck were proof of that. Although, Arthur couldn’t deny that he enjoyed that, he just couldn’t help but feel that there was something that Alfred wasn’t telling him. Could this really be about his jealousy? Was it worse than what Arthur assumed?

Alfred wasted no time in beginning the discussion, “following what we discussed last night on the balcony, I think we should begin at that figure…” 

Francis took in a deep breath as he straightened his back, “what we discussed last night was on personal terms, not diplomatic. That holds no power here. Besides, I’m sure that was just your excitement getting the better of you, because I never stated such a figure, or agreed to it.” 

“Fair enough,” Alfred shrugged, “I can understand that.” 

“Then I propose that we look at our current standing,” Arthur proposed, “Currently, the Spades are one of the largest buyers of Diamond material. And we can see the prominent use of Spade materials at use in this very castle.” 

“All we ask is for some help, and in return we offer you advancements, as we said earlier: only a fool would turn it down,” Alfred added. 

“We do want to help,” Lili pointed out with a sweet smile on her face. “We are happy to offer you some advantages when it comes to our trade agreement. We could lower the percentage of exports you want.” 

“That’s exactly what we were thinking of,” Alfred agreed, smiling, “We primarily want to focus on agriculture and food. Because our food supplies have suffered because of our industrial boom, rather soon we will be at risk of famine: which we can’t risk at a time like this.” 

“What do you propose?” Lili asked. 

“First, we should start at grain purchases at fifty percent of the price,” Alfred exclaimed, his statement made everyone in the room gasp – even the Aces momentarily broke their stance in reaction to Alfred’s bold request. 

“Are you mad?” Francis asked. 

“Perhaps,” Alfred replied, “there are certain things that will drive men mad, you’d know that: wouldn’t you, Francis?”  
As everyone in the room recoiled in shock of Alfred’s statement, Arthur glared at his husband, attempting to understand why Alfred would say such a thing. 

“We can’t accept that! That will drive us into deficit!” Lili exclaimed. 

“Perhaps sixty then,” Alfred proposed. Arthur frowned, why was Alfred acting like this?! Especially to someone as sweet as Lili? No monarch is foolish enough to accept those terrible terms! Why is Alfred pressuring them!? 

“We cannot do that either!” Lili pointed out, becoming more distressed. 

“Francis…” Alfred muttered, smiling at the Diamond King from across the table, “do you have anything to say, or is Lili going to speak for you?” 

“Alfred!!” Arthur hissed, lightly smacking Alfred on the shoulder, recoiling at Alfred’s behaviour. 

“We can’t do anything extreme; we still don’t know exactly what you are going to give us in return! There is no guarantee; we are placing a lot on a RISK,” Francis pointed out. 

“Well, some risks pay off,” Alfred chuckled, “you need to decide which is worse: deficit or shame?” 

Once again, everyone present recoiled in shock, even Arthur was tempted to snap at Alfred for being so rude!

“Sixty-five percent is the best we can do,” Francis admitted. No one looked as though they could believe what was happening: what kind of King would put their Kingdom at such an economic disadvantage?! 

“Francis,” Arthur said, immediately catching Francis’ attention, even he was concerned by the King’s decision, “Are you sure that you want to do this?” Francis stared at Arthur with eyes that were begging for help…  
But it was too late, as Francis signed the contract before passing it on for Alfred and Arthur to sign. Alfred signed it happily, whereas Arthur was a little more hesitant… What was going on behind closed doors? Arthur is the Queen… why was he not involved in this…? 

As soon as the Spades left the room they moved onto another meeting room to discuss their progress, however as soon as Matthew closed the door to the small study, Arthur could not hold it anymore. 

“What was that?!” Arthur snapped at Alfred. 

“What do you mean?” Alfred asked. 

“No! You know exactly what I mean, how could you speak to them like that?!” Arthur asked, “Poor Lili, she was terrified of you and then you speak to Francis like that. What is going on?” 

“Nothing is going on! We just made a deal, and a very good one, imagine what this deal will do back home!” Alfred explained, holding on tightly to Arthur’s hands, “Imagine how impressed the revolutionaries will be with us!!” 

“I have to admit, that was some impressive negotiating…” Yao muttered. 

“But rather rude and questionable at best!” Arthur snapped, “And I want to know why I wasn’t involved in the making of this. You already had everything sorted before we even sat down, didn’t you?” 

“I…” Alfred murmured. 

“Exactly what I thought… You didn’t want to involve me.” Arthur huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “And Francis, what did he ever do to you?!”

“You don’t understand!” Alfred pointed out, “I did a good thing for us back there!” 

“But at the expense of the Diamonds? What did you do to get Francis to agree to such a terrible deal?!” Arthur asked, “and why was I not involved!? I sat there as shocked as everybody else while you ran the entire thing! We agreed to work together!”

“But we are---“ 

“I don’t feel like it!” Arthur interrupted, “I would appreciate being informed before you pull a stunt like that! And I would also appreciate that you do not speak to our friends like that!” 

“Lili is our friend, Francis is not!” 

Arthur froze as he watched Alfred pout his lips and frown, avoiding Arthur’s shocked glare. “Is… Is that what this is about…?” Arthur looked back to Yao and Matthew before speaking again, “Please let us have some time alone.” 

With all other eyes out of the room, Arthur looked back to Alfred, “Is that really what this is about? You did that to them because of your jealousy?”

“It’s not just jealousy! If you see him, you would understand!!” Alfred pointed out. 

“Oh, come on, Alfred!” Arthur groaned, “You really hurt their kingdom because you’re jealous, that is so childish!!”

“I’m not being childish, you’re being oblivious!” Alfred pointed out. 

“And you’re being paranoid!!” Arthur snapped, “Am I not allowed to have my own friends, is that it?! Do you want me to be a good little Queen and stay tied to your side like an obedient doll!?” 

“You know that I don’t!” Alfred snapped. 

Arthur laughed, “I don’t know anything anymore! You are acting more and more different every day and you don’t tell me why!!” 

“I’m protecting you!”

“From what?! Having my own friends!? You see a threat that no one else sees!!” Arthur pointed out, “I don’t understand. Francis is nice to me, he listens to me and I enjoy his company, and the fact that you can’t seem to handle it is not my fault! And it isn’t his!” 

“It isn’t your fault!” 

“Then don’t treat me like it is!” Arthur replied, letting his hands fall to his side, “Besides, you know that there is only you, and there only ever will be! I love you, Alfred. I’ve said to you that there is nothing to be worried about.”

“But have you considered at all how this is making me feel?!” Alfred asked, “You can’t just tell me to not worry about something and then expect all of my worries to disappear!!” 

“But you know how deeply I care about you, what have I done to suggest anything otherwise!?” Arthur asked, “I haven’t done anything other than be nice to them and you see something wrong with that! Besides, think about what this would mean for Francis, if he really wanted me he would be putting his entire Kingdom at risk, surely he is a better King than that!” 

Alfred laughed loudly, but his voice remained tense, “Oh! I don’t know about that!” 

Arthur gasped, “Why are you behaving like this?!”

“You know why!” Alfred yelled, raising his voice. 

“But I don’t see it! And you can’t treat Francis the way you have been, based on your own assumptions!!” Arthur argued, “You cannot decide my friends!” 

“This isn’t about YOU! Or about you having friends!! It’s him!!” Alfred argued, “I’d like to point out that the way that he danced with you last night did not seem very friendly!!” 

Arthur scoffed, that dance meant nothing to him. It was a friendly gesture on Francis’ part. In his mind, Alfred was still being paranoid, his separation anxiety has gotten the better of him. But Arthur was too angry to see this, and still responded with agitation rather than compassion. 

“Oh REALLY?! So, I’m not allowed to dance with anyone either!? Why not tie our hands together and drag me around!?” 

“That is not what I want!!” Alfred roared. 

Finally, the couple fell into silence, staring at each other as they took deep breaths. It was then that Arthur realised that not only he was crying, but so was Alfred. Tears were running down their faces as the reality slowly crept up on them. 

“Alfred…” Arthur whimpered as he stared at his equally distressed husband with wide eyes, “We’re yelling at each other…” 

Alfred froze when he had the realisation, he frowned as he straightened his back and wiped his eyes. “Arthur… I’m sorry…” 

“I’m sorry too…” Arthur sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he took a deep breath, this was the first time that Alfred and Arthur have ever yelled at each other, and the realisation made Arthur’s heart ache, his hands quivered as he wiped a stray tear from his cheek, breathing deeply as he regained his composure. He has to be smart about this situation, this was their first fight, and he can’t let it spiral out of control. “We should…. Have some time alone, think about it, think about what we want to say, and then return to the issue later.” 

Alfred nodded, his face, still saddened, “That sounds good.” 

Arthur nodded as he turned his back and started to walk out of the office, Alfred followed him, but Arthur could not bear to turn back and look at him. He opened the door to the office and left, surprising Yao and Matthew who were waiting in the hallway. 

Arthur did not pay attention to them, but continued to walk down the hallway, feeling more tears fall down his cheeks. He could feel his three Spade monarchs watch him as he walked away, and he did not want to look back.  
He hopelessly wandered the halls of the Diamond Palace, quickly becoming lost as he struggled to find his way around or see past his tears.  
However, there was something that was bothering him, he remembered Francis saying something to him after their dance… Je t’aime. What does that actually mean? Surely it wasn’t something too important. Arthur has never heard any language that was spoken outside of the Spades Kingdom before… 

Arthur watched a young maid pass him in the hallway, and he couldn’t resist… 

“Excuse me, miss,” Arthur said, catching the attention of the young woman, who gasped with surprise. 

“Y-your highness!” She gasped, in an accent similar to King Francis’, she bowed her head and curtsied to the Queen. “How can I help you?”

“Do you speak the same language as your King?” Arthur asked, “I heard someone say something and I was wondering whether you can translate?” 

“Of course!” She agreed. 

“Je t’aime,” Arthur recited, trying the best that he could to mimic Francis’ pronunciation. 

The young girl smiled, “I love you!” 

Arthur was sure that he felt his heart stop… “W-what…?”

“It means, I love you!” She explained. 

“Just to be clear, is this a friendship kind of love?” Arthur asked, trying anything he could to not make this true… This can’t be… 

“No, no, no!” She chirped, unaware of Arthur’s crumbling heart, “This is romantic love! If they meant it as a loving friendship, it would be Je t’adore mon ami. Je t’aime is mostly for romance!” 

“O-Oh…” Arthur gasped, struggling to even breath as he felt his stomach turn… 

Alfred was right… Francis…. Francis loves him… 

“Is something wrong, your highness?” The maid asked. 

“No!” Arthur replied, smiling at her like he wasn’t having an anxiety attack, “I’m fine, thank you for your help!”  
Without another word, Arthur turned away, not wanting her to see his forming tears. 

 

THE KING 

Alfred decided the second that Arthur was out of sight that he was going to tell him the truth as soon as he saw him again. He was a fool for thinking that he couldn’t tell Arthur the truth! Arthur should have known from the beginning! Alfred should not have excluded Arthur from everything, Arthur should have been there with him, deciding everything. Then they wouldn’t have fought, and they wouldn’t be a past as Alfred sat at a table with the monarchs of the Hearts and Clubs. 

At first Alfred thought that he could spare Arthur the pain of knowing the truth about his ‘friend’, but now he has no choice. As soon as Alfred gets the chance, he is going to tell Arthur about the conversation on the balcony, where Francis confessed his love for Arthur. Then Arthur would understand why he did everything. 

On the way to the meeting with the Hearts and Clubs, Alfred explained everything to Matthew and Yao, and they were as shocked as Alfred expected.  
However, Yao was impressed that Alfred had managed to get such a good deal out of it.

When they arrived at their meeting with the Hearts and Clubs, they excused Arthur’s absence with sickness and the meeting began without him. 

Nonetheless, Alfred was feeling terrible throughout the whole thing, he wanted Arthur to be sitting next to him again, holing his hand under the table as they spoke with the Clubs and Hearts. Arthur not being there left Alfred very feeling uneasy… 

“To start off, I want to point out how important fishing is to our Kingdom, and the Northern Mountains offers access to one of the few rivers that are not frozen for most of the year.” Ivan explained. “I am not going to let my people starve around that area.”

“We are open to arranging a fishing trade deal, however, it is important to us that the area is considered as Heartlands,” Kiku pointed out. 

“Will you allow Club’s ships to pass and fish without obstacle?” Elizabeta asked. 

“Depending on what the ship is carrying…” Ludwig murmured. 

“See, this is why I voted, so this conversation will happen!” Alfred pointed out, reminding the monarchs of Clubs and Hearts that the Spades were present. 

“Yes, and so you can get something out of it…” Ivan grumbled. 

“We can all talk about that later,” Yao pointed out. 

“As long as the ships are for fishing, I don’t see any issue with allowing them to pass. However, it’s competition with the local population that worries me…” Ludwig pointed out. 

No matter how hard Alfred wanted to concentrate, he couldn’t get Arthur out of his mind. He wanted nothing more than to run down the halls and take Arthur into his arms… He pictured himself telling Arthur everything, and apologising for not telling him in the first place…  
But yet… Alfred knew that he had a long meeting ahead of him… 

 

THE QUEEN

Arthur had spent his entire tea-time with Lili in a state of surreal panic. He smiled to the young Queen and talked with her as though nothing was wrong, but on the inside, Arthur was screaming.  
When she had to go Arthur asked her to retrieve Francis for him. Arthur has many questions for the King of Diamonds… 

Arthur took a deep breath as he stood by the door with his back pressed against the wall, if Francis was going to come in, he didn’t want him to see Arthur in the state of confusion and distress he was in. As soon as Lili left, he had begun to shake, and now it was raging out of control. Arthur struggled to breathe as he could feel him coming closer, Arthur wanted to scream as his heart raced. He thought about finding Alfred, but then he figured that it would be best for Arthur to get all the information that he could out of Francis. 

He said that he loved him, thinking that Arthur wouldn't investigate it, who did he take the Queen for: a fool?! 

The door opened and Arthur saw him come in. 

“Arth—“  
Francis was interrupted when he was grabbed from behind and forced against the wall as the door slammed shut. Two warm hands pressed his shoulders against the wall, trapping him. “Arthur, what are you doing?!” Arthur had lost all need for social convention, he wanted answers and he wanted them immediately. 

“Do you speak the same language as your servants?” Arthur asked. 

“Y-yes…” Francis shuddered as he attempted to pull himself off the wall, only for Arthur to push him back. 

Arthur looked deep into the light blue eyes of the Diamond King, as he stared at Arthur like he was panicking inside. Arthur wanted nothing more than to know the truth, and now he was going to get it. 

“Then you should tell me the same thing as they did…” Arthur whispered as he leaned into Francis, “tell me what J’taime means.”

Francis stuttered, surprised that he had been caught, he breathed deeply as his mind raced, and he still stared at Arthur with his wide, beautiful eyes… Francis was cornered like a mouse facing a cat, he was finally trapped and saw no way of escaping this confrontation.  
“It means…” Francis murmured, his head lowering in defeat as he took shaky and uneven breaths, “it means…” 

Francis fell silent when he watched Arthur’s face flinch as he took in a deep breath, and Arthurs arm trembled as his hands pinned Francis’ shoulders to the wall. Francis finally swallowed his fear and spoke, “I love you.” Arthur gasped, despite how hard he tried to be prepared for the confession, it still stabbed him like a knife… His heart raced as he continued to stare into Francis’ eyes as he repeated himself, “I love you…” 

“Y-you can’t…” Arthur gasped as he released his grip on Francis’ shoulders, and he began to step back, his green eyes staring at Francis as his pale lips trembled as he struggled to find the words to say.  
Arthur began to panic as more thoughts raced through his mind… This can’t be true! The King of Diamonds is in love with him!! Everything that he had thought about the man before him was wrong!

“I know…” Francis admitted, breaking the painful silence, “But I can’t hide it anymore, it eats at me like a wolf to a carcass.” Francis reached his hands towards the Queen as he stepped off of the wall, “I don’t expect anything from you—“ 

“Good, because you won’t get anything!” Arthur spat, defensively crossing his arms over his chest, desperately avoiding eye contact with Francis, “I can’t believe this… I…”

“I have been struggling to hide it for the past couple of days … it’s been destroying me… Arthur, I’m sorry. The last thing I want is for you to see me as a threat.” Francis explained as he placed his hands on Arthur’s shoulders. “I didn’t know how to contain it and I made many mistakes… you’re just…” 

“What?!” Arthur snapped, pushing Francis away from him, before falling into the seat next to the table, his head falling into his hands. “What did I do?” 

Was this Arthurs fault…? Was he too nice? Did he give off a bad signal?! What was it that he did to awaken then feelings with Francis and cause so much pain between him and Alfred?!

“It did not take much, but it is not your fault. Attracting my affections was my own sin, it is not supposed to be your burden to bare.” Francis explained, “You were just… you’re beautiful.” At the word, Arthur’s head rose from his hands, and he stared at Francis as he continued. “Your eyes are hypnotic, your skin is so soft, and you walk with such elegance and grace, you were born to be a royal. Your voice is as soothing as church bells ringing and you speak with such a refined charm and wit, it is impossible to not be captivated by every word you say.” As he spoke more Arthurs eyes widened and his mouth slowly opened in shock. How did he feel these things…? How?! Arthur’s anxiety reached new levels as he started to tremble. He never considered the possibility of another man having feelings for him… “At first it was your beauty that caught my eye but as I talked to you more I saw that you were beautiful on the inside. You are smarter than any man I’ve ever met, you care about your Kingdom so much that it is nothing short of admirable, you show your people such devotion and love, you are what Kings and Queens aspire to be. You have so many ideas and propositions that you are a natural leader. You are so kind and sweet that you had my heart caught in a web since the moment you spoke to me. You have the aspiration to challenge those who tried to bring you down, not even tradition stood in your way, you are powerful enough to change rules that dictated the lives of others. Every moment I saw you, my heart raced out of control, it begged for your attention and every time I received it: a rush went through me, like a satisfied thirst. You make me happy… you wash away any of my worries or anxieties…”

Arthur whimpered. This was too much for him to handle… “Stop…”

But Francis didn’t stop, “ever since you stepped out of that carriage, you had my heart—“ 

“STOP!” Arthur snapped, rising out of his chair, “I barely understand why Alfred fell in love with me, and now you! I am the worst person to fall in love with—especially for you, I am the Queen of Spades. And I am MARRIED!”  
“I know, that’s why I didn’t act on it—“ 

“Didn’t act on it? That must be a joke!” Arthur snapped, “You said that you loved me without thinking that I would figure it out!! When you danced with me, was your intention to get close to me? Was everything you did a grab for attention!?”

Francis frowned, unable to deny it, “I do not mean to make you think that way about me, I genuinely wished to be with you.” 

“Oh lord, no wonder Alfred was so upset!! He was right about you!!” Arthur spat, his face becoming redder as he became more upset, “I defended you… I called Alfred childish and paranoid… today… I yelled at him for being so rude to you at the meeting. We’ve never yelled at each other before…. I’m… I’m a terrible husband… I should have listened to him…”  
Arthur imagined the pain on Alfred’s face as he yelled at him… Alfred knew all along… And Arthur yelled at him… 

“It’s not your fault…” Francis muttered, “I’m sorry…” 

“You have no idea what you are doing! This is – URH! You cannot be in love with me, you CAN’T! This could destroy us, as well as you!” Arthur snapped, “You’re putting both of our Kingdoms at risk!!” 

“I know!” Francis replied, trying his best to not raise his voice, “That’s why I accepted the deal!” 

“The deal?” Arthur asked, before his eyes widened with shock, and now everything made sense… “… did Alfred blackmail you? Is that why you accepted that terrible agreement?” 

“He was protecting what is his, and getting the best for his Kingdom. I do not hold it against him, as I would be the same…” Francis replied, “my Kingdom means everything to me, and if it means being used by the Kingdom of Spades, it is better than being exposed.” 

“You haven’t done a very good job at not exposing yourself,” Arthur spat. 

“I let my selfish desire overcome me for a moment, and it exposed me long enough for the worst person to notice.” Francis admitted. “He knew how to use my weakness, and he used it as best as he could.” 

“I don’t think I want to use you, I don’t want anything to do with you!” Arthur replied, “this has already hurt my marriage, and I know that if this was to escalate, it will destroy my Kingdom. Alfred and I are already in danger—“ 

“What?” Francis asked, “Why are you in danger?”

“That is none of your concern!” 

“But I am concerned—“ 

“Oh! That’s right! You LOVE me!!” Arthur growled as he crossed his arms over his chest as the first tear rolled down his cheek and his knees shook as he stood and his entire body shock with fear after every breath he took. What would happen if this scandal were to be exposed…? The revolutionaries back home would surely destroy Alfred and Arthur for this shame! 

“Please, Arthur, I will protect you no matter what. Let me help you, even if you hate me…” Francis sighed. 

The deal too… That damned deal! It is shameful as well, and would surely create nothing but pain for them in the future. Especially when people start asking questions that Alfred and Arthur can’t answer without exposing the entire scandal!  
“If you want to help Alfred and me: leave us alone!!” Arthur snapped. He needs to end this, NOW, “Too much is wrong with this deal, it won’t be long before we are all exposed! I… I’m annulling the deal!” 

“Arthur!” Francis cried as Arthur marched past him, in shock, Francis reached for Arthurs arm, grabbing it just in time to hold him back before he could leave the tea room. “What is going on?! PLEASE!” 

“LET GO OF ME!!” Arthur screamed as a firm hand struck the Diamond King across the cheek. Francis released Arthur out of shock. He hissed in pain as he pressed his hand against his reddened cheek, staring at the hand that stuck him, and the shocked look on the face of the Queen that did it. Arthur could see the emotional and physical pain in Francis’ eyes, he could see Francis’ heart break right in front of his eyes. Arthur felt like a monster… 

“Arthur…” 

Arthur tightened his face before he took a deep breath, composing himself, “I’m sorry.”

As soon as Arthur left the tea room, he broke into tears as he broke into a run, he needed to find Alfred, and he needed to tell him that he was sorry. He should have listened to Alfred, he should have taken his worries seriously! Arthur felt terrible for everything, his vision blurred he ran, he did not care where he ran or who saw him, he needed to find Alfred!  
Arthur remembered how he yelled at Alfred, how he called him childish, how he made Alfred cry… And Alfred was right all along… 

It took him a long time, but eventually Arthur heard noises coming from down the hall, turned the corner and saw a large staircase, where many people were meeting at the hall in the bottom of the staircase. Instantly Arthur spotted the royal blue of Alfred’s coat, and Alfred’s face lifted, his eyes widening when he spotted Arthur near the staircase. 

Before Arthur could take another breath, he broke into a run, and Alfred followed. Arthur ran down the stairs as Alfred ran across the hall, his arms already spread wide to accept Arthur, as the Queen jumped into the arms of his King.  
Arthur whimpered as he held on tightly to Alfred, as the King held Arthur so tightly; his smaller frame was going to break as Alfred planted kisses on the top of his head. 

“Alfred!” Arthur cried, holding on tightly to Alfred as his knees began to shake, “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I should have listened to you!” 

Arthur felt Alfred tense and grab Arthur’s arms, pulling Arthur off him so he could look at Arthur’s face. “What did he do?” 

“I asked him and he told me everything! I annulled the deal!” Arthur burst. 

“What!?” Alfred asked. 

“Arthur! Alfred!” A voice called from the staircase, catching their attention. Francis was running towards them from the staircase, looking as though he had seen a ghost. 

But Arthur was not going to hear it, too much was wrong, too much hurt him… He didn’t want to hurt Francis any more than he already has. 

“MATTHEW!!” Arthur roared when Francis got close enough to slow down, but before he could speak; a sword came between him and the monarchs. Matthew has acted on Arthur’s orders with lightning precision.  
People gasped with shock as the Ace of Spades continued to hold his sword in front of Francis. 

Suddenly, the Ace of Diamonds, Antonio pulled Francis back as he drew out his sword, colliding it with Matthew’s. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Antonio growled as he and the Spades swords crossed, and they began to push, but neither Ace budged. 

Everyone stepped back in shock to give the Aces more room, suddenly, the Aces stepped back and began to circle each other, staring each other down like dogs about to fight. 

“I have my orders,” Matthew grumbled. 

“Orders or not, no one dares threaten my King,” Antonio hissed. 

“Lovino, stand by the Spades,” Ludwig ordered, “we can’t afford to have them regret their vote!” 

Suddenly the Ace of Hearts ran to the two Aces, drawing out his own sword, he stood next to the Ace of Spades. Before Arthur could properly assess the situation, the Ace of Clubs had joined Antonio’s side.  
It was a standoff as no Ace dared to move without further orders, the moment had been sprung from a moment of panic, and now the situation looked as though it could escalate into chaos with one word… 

“DON’T FIGHT!! PLEASE!!” A voice cried as a figure in a long yellow dress forced herself in the circle of Aces, before tripping on her dress and falling to the ground. 

“LILI!” Vash cried as he forced himself past Antonio, running to help his sister. 

“EVERYONE STAND DOWN!!” Elizabeta barked.  
It was then that Arthur truly understood his error, and saw what a mess he had created… Lili could have gotten hurt because of him, all because he abused his power over Matthew… 

“Matthew… stand down,” Arthur ordered quietly, his voice still cracking from the exhaustion brought upon by sadness… He caused this entire mess. “I’m sorry, it was a false order... I panicked…” 

“Shh… it’s ok…” Alfred cooed as he placed his arm over Arthurs shoulder, holding him closely…


	6. Day Five

THE KING

“I’m sorry, Arthur…” Alfred whispered as he brushed his fingers through Arthur’s soft hair, pushing his fringe off his pale forehead. “I should have told you what was happening the second I found out.” 

Arthur frowned, staring up at Alfred as they laid in bed, having just woke up from a restless night. Arthur sighed at Alfred’s admission, “But, Alfred...” 

“No, we should have been handling this together from the beginning,” Alfred explained, “I… I got protective of you and I wanted to handle it myself, but didn’t realise I was hurting you in the process.” 

“But it’s my fault too!” Arthur pointed out, “I didn’t realise that you were hurting as well! All while I…” 

“No, don’t suggest that it is your fault,” Alfred explained, “It is not your fault that he has those feelings, and it is not your fault that you didn’t see it. You see the best in people…” 

“But… I genuinely enjoyed his company…” Arthur sighed. 

“Because you’re a good person,” Alfred added. 

“But I still don’t agree with what you did, blackmailing was rather harsh…” Arthur pointed out, frowning softly as Alfred sighed.

“I know, I was thinking of the kingdom and my jealously clouded my fair judgement. But still… that deal was perfect.” 

Arthur frowned, not wanting to admit that Alfred was right about that. Sensing his husband’s bitterness, Alfred sighed as he tightened his grip on Arthur, pulling him close enough so that his chin rested on the top of Arthur’s head. 

It’s true, the deal was perfect, it was better than any deal in Spades history. But it was just that the deal was built on the back of a scandal. Arthur could only imagine the revolutionaries asking how this deal was made, and how they were able to have the Diamonds agree to it… the entire scandal would be uncovered and Alfred and Arthur would have a terrible reputation. It would cause more problems that Arthur didn’t want to deal with it.  
However, how were Alfred and Arthur going to make up the difference, and still have brought home enough to spare them from the wrath of the revolutionaries? 

“Did I do the right thing?” Arthur asked, nuzzling into Alfred’s neck, holding on tightly to Alfred. Alfred could see that Arthur was struggling inside. Alfred could tell that Arthur was starting to regret his choice… it really was the question; which is worse, deficit or shame? 

“Well… You’re right about the scandal part,” Alfred murmured, rubbing his eyes tiredly, “Knowing the rebels, they’d blow the scandal out of proportion and run your reputation into the ground. I didn’t think about that aspect at all. I didn’t think about HOW we were going to explain the deal. We’d have to explain everything and justify our success…” 

“Ugh, I don’t want to go home…” Arthur whined. “But yet… I don’t want to be here…” 

“I know, I don’t either, but when we return home and once the revolutionaries see that we are good, they won’t want to dethrone us…” Alfred explained, planting kisses on the top of Arthur’s head as he spoke, becoming tense as his anxiety intensified just thinking about their situation, “We’re better than the last monarchs, I know we are; we just need to show them that…” 

\---------

The second last day of the conference was always dedicated to the Ace, finally, it was Matthew’s turn to show every Kingdom what he is made of. 

It was another traditional display of strength and loyalty, this time it involved the Aces. In pairs, each Ace has to engage in a one-on-one battle with each other. Eventually everyone will fight each other, and in the end there will be one victor. 

The previous year, the last Ace of Spades won, and everyone wondered whether Matthew would be able to live up to his predecessor’s goal, Alfred certainly hoped so, it would show everyone how strong Matthew is, a new Ace never won the battle. The purpose of this event was for the Aces to display their ability to protect their King and Queen. As well as being a tradition, it was an opportunity for the Aces to fight and show off their skills on behalf of their monarchs.

Some Monarchs took this as an opportunity to place bets on their Ace, and sometimes it can become extremely competitive, especially when the Ace knows how much money their monarchs have put on them winning against a particular Ace, or on them winning the entire competition. For instance, Alfred knew that the King of Clubs has placed a wager on Natalia winning against Matthew. Perhaps this is his petty way of getting satisfaction at Alfred’s expense. Not like Alfred could talk about being petty, he was tempted to place a wager on Matthew beating Antonio. 

“Have you placed any bets on me?” Matthew asked, bringing himself out from behind Alfred and Arthur’s thrones, his eyes were wide with excitement.

Of course he did, what kind of King wouldn’t have faith in his Ace? “Of course I did, I’ve wagered that you win against all of them.” 

“Do you think I can win?” Matthew asked, beaming with joy. 

“I want you to do the best that you can, but you know what would make me really happy…?” Alfred asked as he leaned into Matthew, “Just beat the Diamonds and I will be overjoyed.” 

Matthew rolled his eyes, “Of course you would, and I will.” 

“I’m curious to see how the other Aces fight… I’ve heard a lot about Lovino, apparently he’s really fast…” Arthur admitted, “Feliciano talks a lot about it.” Alfred smiled as he reached over the arm rest of this throne and took Arthur’s hand into his own.

“I saw the last Battle of Aces,” Yao pointed out, “They were all very impressive, but I’d say that Natalia is your greatest threat. The last Ace of Spades had to work very hard for his victory. Natalia is smart, and very quick, you will need to be brave to fight her.” 

The competition finally began, and Antonio was drawn to go first, battling against the Ace of Hearts, Lovino.  
Lovino smiled at Antonio and muttered a threat to the Ace of Diamonds, who only laughed in response. Alfred could tell that they were friends, and so the competition was friendly as their weapons collided. The Ace of Hearts may have been shorter than the other Aces, but made up for it with his impressive speed. He was able to leap past Antonio, swinging his spear, only for it to be deflected by Antonio. Spectators began to cheer as the Aces put on a marvellous show, both showing off their greatest skills, all while not breaking eye contact with each other. 

Lovino performed flawless cartwheels as he danced around the Ace of Diamonds, occasionally swinging at him with his spear, trying to find an opportunity to catch him off guard. Arthur was right to point out Lovino’s speed, he had run faster than any man that Alfred had ever seen before.  
Antonio swung his mace and barely missed Lovino, making the crowd gasp, fearing that the battle was over. However Lovino dropped to the floor and swung his leg, hitting Antonio behind the knee. If Lovino had kicked him any harder, he would have fallen, however; Antonio turned around and pressed his foot into Lovino’s chest, pinning him to the floor and pointing the mace at his face, ending the battle.

They stared at each other in silence as the crowd cheered at the display; Lovino cursed as Antonio chuckled, helping him to his feet. The Aces laughed as they shook hands before Antonio returned to his King, and Lovino was thoughts to face his next opponent. 

Alfred found his eyes locking onto the King of Diamonds and could see that, like Alfred, his mind was anywhere but the battle. However, Francis looked terrified, like he was thinking of the most horrifying thoughts. Alfred had to admit, he was happy to admit that he hadn’t caught Francis looking at Arthur, because if he did; the fight would no longer be between the Aces…

He returned to reality to see Antonio fall to the Ace of Clubs, the young woman had managed to take Antonio down after a long fight. Alfred couldn’t help but notice her feminine armour, and the long green tail-skirt that flowed behind her as she took each powerful step. She kept his long light-blonde hair out, with a dark ribbon tied around her head. She truly did look like a fierce competitor, however, Alfred was going to be proud of Matthew, whether he beats her or not. 

Finally, the moment came, Alfred tightened his grip on Arthurs hand as Matthew stepped out from behind his throne, with the stance of a fierce knight in armour and with his sword at the ready. This was the moment that everyone had waited for, everyone was determined to see just how good the Ace of Spades was and what his strengths and weaknesses were going to be. Alfred watched at Matthew’s eyes changed from round and sweet, to narrow and vicious, Matthew became terrifying to face and Alfred chuckled, knowing that Antonio had no idea of what was coming to him. Matthew had switched into guard-mode, and knew that he was going to make Alfred proud. Honestly, Alfred would not mind if Matthew lost the entire competition, it was only if Matthew won against the Diamonds that would make Alfred happy.  
Matthew and Antonio stood across from each other, their weapons at the ready. Like the good sportsmen they were, Antonio and Matthew shared a few words and bowed their heads.

Antonio made the first move and swung his mace at Matthew, expecting him to duck to avoid the swing, however, Matthew only held his sword and held it still as it collided with the mace, stopping it from moving any further. 

During this fight, it became obvious what the strength Ace of Spades was, he was brave, and now Alfred smiled as everyone came to realise it. He swung his sword at Antonio when others would have ducked or avoided it. He was so powerful; he turned the tables and forced Antonio to back away in an effort to avoid Matthew’s vicious swings.  
Antonio struggled to keep up as he struggled to stay on his feet and concentrate on Matthew’s movements. He was definitely caught off guard by the young Ace. 

Suddenly, Matthew took another swing, stopping before the sword collided with the Ace of Diamonds neck, ending the battle and earning victory in the name of the Spades. The mouths of everyone present watched with shock as Matthew and Antonio stood in silence, as though neither of them could believe that the battle was over already.  
As soon as Matthew lowered his sword, Antonio took his hand and enthusiastically shook it, smiling at Matthew and speaking to him, probably praising him on his skill and congratulating him on his victory. Matthew finally returned to normal, and smiled at Antonio and replied to him, when both Aces smiled, thanked each other, before they returned to their Monarchs. Matthew walked towards Alfred, Arthur and Yao with a wide smile on his face. 

By the end of this round, Lovino had lost to Natalia and Matthew, and by the end of round two, Antonio lost to Natalia and Matthew as well.  
Alfred was amazed, but not surprised by Matthew’s success, he knew that his brother was a fantastic fighter, and now every other Monarch will understand this as well. 

The entire crowd went silent as Natalia stood alone in the centre of the fighting area, waiting for her next opponent, this was going to be the deciding battle, and no one could predict whether victory will go to the Spades, or the Clubs. Everyone watched silently as the Ace of Spades made his way to Natalia, staring at her like a solider would stare at the enemy. 

Matthew and Natalia talked to each other quietly, wishing each other luck, before revealing their swords. And finally; the battle began.  
Everyone was impressed by the display of skill and power shown by both Aces, they both appeared to take the battle extremely seriously, as they both took risks to establish dominance over the other. Despite this, the battle raged on as the point of advantage swapped between being in favour of the Spades and Clubs.  
Matthew fought with the power and loyalty of a Knight, whilst Natalia fought with the skill and grace of an assassin.  
Matthew swung his sword at Natalia, only for it to collide with her own, however no one expected her to draw out a dagger from her belt as she stepped towards the Ace of Spades, taking him by surprise as she pressed the blade against his neck.  
The Aces stared at each other silently, as Matthew began to process what just happened. 

“VICTORY TO THE CLUBS!!” A voice announced as the crowd erupted into applause; however the Ace's still stood in their position, engaging in conversation, with Natalia’s blade still against Matthew’s neck. Despite their position, the conversation appeared to be casual, before Matthew finally released Matthew, letting him return to his monarchs as she did hers.

“We’re so proud of you,” Arthur exclaimed as he and Alfred leapt from their thrones to congratulate Matthew. 

“That was amazing!” Alfred added. 

“Very impressive,” Yao nodded, “I say that you would have won if she didn’t have the dagger!” 

 

THE QUEEN

“I think they know…” Yao grimaced, as soon as the door to the lounging area in Alfred and Arthur’s quarters. The look on Yao’s face did not make Arthur’s tense mood any better, “I think the Diamonds know about what happened.” 

“What?” Alfred asked, “There’s no way that Francis told them!” 

“Vash and Antonio are acting differently around all of us,” Matthew admitted, crossing his arms as he accepted the idea, sitting at the same table as Alfred an Arthur. 

“But we have too much on him! He wouldn’t speak!” Alfred agreed, “He wouldn’t want his own court knowing about his feelings for Arthur.”

“Not unless if he became desperate enough to sought guidance. I don’t doubt that he’s been pushed over the edge!” Yao exclaimed, “If this gets out, it will spread through the Kingdoms like a plague!” 

“No…” Arthur moaned as he rested his head in his hands, trembling at the thought of the entire scandal being exposed … and the blame being brought upon him. “What if the other royals know…?” 

“There’s no way that’d happen, right?” Alfred asked, resting his hand on Arthur’s shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him. Arthur had to admit, Alfred’s touch did bring a sense of warm back to him, like a ray of sunlight… 

“I don’t know!” Yao replied, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, becoming nervous himself, and this only made Arthur feel worse, Yao only became nervous when the situation was bad… “If the other royals find out that we tried to blackmail him, that could put our position back! We would be exposed!” 

“Wait, they can’t annul the deals that we’ve made with them, right?!” Matthew asked 

“It can only take one…” Arthur grimaced, remembering his own actions, he’s annulled a deal; so, he knows exactly how easy it is; even if it is done in the heat of a moment. When Arthur looked up from his hands, he saw that Alfred was already looking at him, his eyes wide with concern on his handsome face. Alfred’s eyes, bluer than the vastest seas, deep enough to swallow Arthur whole. Somehow, he managed to make Arthurs worries hurt him just a little bit less... 

“What can we do to prevent that from happening?” Alfred asked. 

“Well, all we have to do is not let any of them talk to either of you, no one can annul a deal until at least one member from each monarchy is present. For example, Arthur and Francis, and Arthur was able to annul the deal.” 

“Do you think I did the right thing?” Arthur asked, directing his stare to Yao, “Be honest with me.” 

“Alright, then I will… No,” Yao answered as he walked towards his King and Queen, his hands together and hidden under his long sleeves, his robes running along the white marble flooring as he stepped towards the table. “That deal was the best one in the history of our Kingdom, that was going to guarantee the respect of our people. It was perfect.” 

“But how were we going to explain how we got it without ruining our reputations?” Alfred asked, his eyes narrowing, ready to jump to Arthur’s defence without being asked to. 

“Alfred, it’s ok; he has a point,” Arthur sighed. 

“However, I understand why you did it,” Yao admitted, placing a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, “You were thinking of your people’s feelings, and that’s still a very good thing.” 

“But will it help us in the end?” Arthur asked. 

“All we have to do now is hope that our deals with the Hearts and Clubs are enough to keep the masses satisfied…” Matthew pointed out. 

“Then in that case, we cannot give them the opportunity to annul our deals; if they do know about the blackmail and the scandal and the … love…” Yao murmured, “But that would mean that you two would have to avoid every other royal on the last day of the conference, and that’s impossible…” 

“Then we shouldn’t stay for it,” Alfred murmured, bringing all eyes onto him. He was staring at the table, staring at the hand that was linked with Arthur’s, pondering over his tough decision. Even though this idea was drastic and risky, Arthur trusted that he was thinking with honest intentions. Alfred was frowning in his state of deep thought, weighing the pros against the cons in terms of the situation, would leaving the Diamond Kingdom early really help them? 

“Alfred, are you sure?” Matthew asked. 

“If you order us to leave the Diamond Kingdom, we will leave by tomorrow morning,” Yao explained. 

“Alfred…” Arthur murmured, and Alfred responded to his voice, lifting his head to look into Arthur’s eyes. Arthur could see the thoughts swimming behind Alfred’s eyes. The world around Arthur became nothing like a blur, as his eyes focussed only on Alfred, with his face remaining as the only clear thing in his sight. Arthur felt Alfred squeeze his hand tightly as his facial expression faltered, Arthur could see that he was thinking very hard about this… 

But in the end, Alfred sighed before titling his head slightly to look at Yao, “Think of something to tell the other monarchs, we leave at dawn.” 

\---------- 

Arthur spent the rest of the night in a quiet state of thought, not wanting to leave he and Alfred’s quarters. Even though Alfred was lying asleep beside him, he could not calm down. Alfred’s arms were wrapped around Arthur’s shoulders and torso, holding him so closely, Arthur could feel the Kings heartbeat against his arm. Arthur laid on his back and stared at the white ceiling, his eyes becoming adjusted to the darkness. Usually Arthur would fall asleep after making love with Alfred, but tonight, Arthur just couldn’t bring his mind to rest, with many thoughts keeping his mind occupied. 

He couldn’t help but think about Francis… What was it about Arthur that had driven the King of Diamonds to such madness…? Arthur thought about the words that Francis had said to him, and his heart raced; how could feelings as intense as Francis’ develop in such a short time? But then… Arthur remembered how quickly he fell in love with Alfred, and realised that such things really are possible… 

Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath, begging his heart to calm down, but it continued to beat loudly, driving him mad with anxiety. What made him feel worse, was the fact that he was thinking about Francis, the man that had cause he and Alfred such pain. 

Why did it have to be him? Why did he have to be the one to lure the heart of another man? Was it his fault? Did he make Francis fall in love without intending? Arthur sighed, remembering Francis’ confession: “ever since you stepped out of that carriage, you had my heart.” What would have he said if Arthur let him finish his confession, what more could Arthur have done to make Francis fall in love with him? 

At first, Arthur was highly skeptical of the King’s feelings. How can he fall in love with Arthur so fast and barely know him…? But then he thought about every interaction he had with the King of Diamonds, but from a new perspective. Francis’ anxiety was created by fear of his feelings; the rose was not a gift of gratitude but one of love. Even in conversation, Francis listened with such intent and with such caring eyes… Even before he knew about Francis’ feelings, Arthur enjoyed the way that Francis listened to him… 

And then Arthur’s eyes widened as he remembered the night of the Ball… His eyes widened as he remembered the way Francis held him while they danced. He remembered everything from the look in Francis’ eyes, to the way everyone watched them dance. He held Arthur tightly as they circled around the dancefloor, his cloak floating behind them. He remembered staring into Francis’ eyes as he stared into his… He remembered how tightly Francis held him, and how softly he guided Arthur in the dance… Now he understood why his heart was racing during it, he should have known that there was something going on… The more he thought about it, the more he noticed the way Francis looked at him and smiled while they were close… 

Alfred… Alfred must have been going through so much pain during that night… Arthur knew that Alfred was watching them, yet… He let it continue, blind to the true feelings of the man he danced with that night, and the love that hid behind his smile… 

Arthur turned his head to look at Alfred’s sleeping face, Arthur had to admit that Alfred even looked handsome in sleep. His perfect hair had already become messy, and half of his face was pressed against the comfortable pillow. Arthur wondered how he could sleep so peacefully, despite all that was going on around them. However, Arthur couldn’t help but smile as he rolled over to snuggle in closer to his husband, comfortable with knowing that no matter how many people fell in love with him, Alfred was all that Arthur ever wanted. 

\------ 

Arthur didn’t know how it happened, but he opened his eyes and he was back in the Spades palace. There was chaos outside, as Arthur could see the glow of flames erupting from outside. Arthur was filled with an enormous amount of stress within his heart, he felt like he could hardly breathe as he ran with Alfred and Yao. They were running from something. 

“IN HERE!” Yao cried as he opened the door to one of the studies, “There’s a trap door entrance in here!” 

“Come on Arthur, we’ll be safe in here,” Alfred explained, wrapping his arm over Arthur’s shoulders, guiding him into the study, where Yao shut the door after they entered. 

“How long do you think Matthew’s battalion can hold them off?” Alfred asked. 

Arthur instantly turned to look at Alfred, seeing the worried look on his face. And then all his memories came back, and everything made sense. 

The deals weren’t enough, the masses were not satisfied with the deal that Alfred and Arthur had created with the Hearts and Clubs. Within a year, Alfred and Arthur had lost all control, no matter how hard they tried to fix the people’s problems, nothing was good enough to satisfy them. The Spades capital fell to chaos, and the people rioted against the royal couple. They could not see the good that Alfred and Arthur had meant, and all the people saw were the mistakes of the former monarchs.  
Tonight, was the night that the revolutionaries hit hard, breaking through the doors and making their way into the castle, calling for Alfred and Arthur to become their prisoners. Naturally, Matthew coordinated his army to counterattack, and a war was waging within the castle. Alfred and Arthurs worlds were falling apart right before their eyes, and they were powerless to stop it.

“Matthew has hundreds of men at his disposal, depending on how many revolutionaries there are… hopefully he remains safe…” Yao pointed out, before making his way to a bookshelf that was pressed against the wall, “help me push this, there should be a trap door behind this.” 

Alfred nodded as he took the side opposite to Yao, and helped him push the bookshelf out of the way, revealing the shape of a hidden door in the wall. “Where does it go?”

“If I remember correctly, this one should lead to the rose garden,” Yao explained. 

“Great, we’ll wait for Matthew and then go,” Alfred explained. 

“What will we do then?” Arthur asked, “We can’t just leave the Kingdom!” 

“We will just wait for the castle to be taken back, and then speak with Matthias and Lukas and see what we can do. They know that this isn’t our fault, THEY KNOW that we can fix this!!” Alfred grumbled, his hands turning into fists, “I can’t believe that they let this attack happen in the first place!!” 

“Although, they did say that they can’t control the people, they only speak on their behalf,” Yao pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter!” Alfred snapped, “If we die tonight, the whole Kingdom will be doomed! We were supposed to fix our problems at the Diamond Ball!” 

“It’s because I annulled the deal, isn’t it…?” Arthur asked.

Immediately, Alfred silenced Arthur with a kiss on the lips, and placed his hands on Arthur’s shoulders, “No, it’s not. Don’t say that. They would have found out that something was wrong with the deal in the end… This isn’t your fault.” 

But it is, Arthur thought, Arthur struggled to think of anything other than the deal he annulled that could have prevented this disaster. His Kingdom was crumbling before his eyes, and he was powerless to stop it. 

Suddenly, the doors burst open as Matthew ran in, slamming the doors shut behind him, staring at the trio like he had just seen a ghost, “Members of my own battalion are traitors!!” Matthew snapped, with his back pressed against the door, Arthur could see the blood and scratches on Matthew’s dark armour, as well as this, Arthur had never seen Matthew so panicked. Arthur could only imagine what horrors Matthew had witnessed before coming to join them, or what it was that drove him to find them. Matthew walked towards them as he seethed his long sword, “You all need to get out of here, now! They’re getting closer as we speak!” 

“No…” Arthur gasped, as Alfred’s arm hooked around his shoulder as Matthew pulled open the trap door, revealing a dark hallway, which led to a dark set of stairs, Arthur could see the dirt, dust and spider webs on the floor. 

“We’re losing the castle,” Matthew grimaced, before bowing his head to Alfred and Arthur, “I lost the castle, I’m sorry!” 

“You’re still here, that’s all I care about,” Alfred explained stepping away from Arthur to take his younger brother into his arms, “We’re proud of you.” 

“We don’t have time, go through the trap door, now!” Matthew pointed out, ushering everyone towards the trap door, naturally everyone started to move, however, Alfred stopped when he noticed that Matthew hadn’t stepped into the trap door. Matthew’s eyes had darkened and his face became blank, instantly, Alfred stepped out of the trap door and in the way of the door. 

“What are you doing?” Alfred asked, his voice faltering, trying to hold himself together, but Arthur could see that he had figured out what Matthew was planning on doing. Following his husband, Arthur stepped out to stay by his side, as did Yao, refusing to leave Matthew behind. 

“Someone has to hold them back…” Matthew pointed out, trying his best to smile, even though he was struggling to not cry. 

“NO!” Alfred snapped, trying his best to pull Matthew into the dark hallway, struggling to remain composed. It pained Arthur to see so much pain on the brothers faces, with Alfred internally begging Matthew to come with them, but Matthew still refused to budge. 

“I’m the one with the sword, you all have to get out…” Matthew sighed, before stepping into Yao, “thank you for being so good to me…” 

“Matthew…” Yao gasped as the corners of his eyes filled with tears as Matthew took Yao’s head into his hands, and planted a light kiss on his forehead, “You don’t have to do this…” 

“I do…” Matthew whispered, before moving onto Arthur planting a light kiss on Arthur’s forehead, “Thank you for being there for us, from the beginning I knew that you’d be special… Look after Alfred for me. I know you can do it.” 

Arthur couldn’t speak… His throat tightened as Matthew prolonged the kiss on his forehead, his hands tightly holding Arthur’s head, and when Matthew let go, Arthur could see why, he was crying. 

“I’m not letting you go,” Alfred grumbled, “I order you to stay!!” Alfred gasped when Matthew pulled him in for a tight hug, trembling as he held his brother so tightly, he struggled to breath, but even then, Alfred refused to let go. 

“Overruled,” Matthew muttered. 

“I’m the King, you can’t overrule my orders,” Alfred grumbled, gritting his teeth.

“Not if it’s in your best interests… There’s a loophole,” Matthew pointed out, as he let go of Alfred, smiling despite the tears that rolled down his cheeks. 

“I’m not letting you do this!” Alfred argued, tears streaming down his cheeks, “you’re coming with us!!” 

“You don’t have much time!” Matthew replied, as a deep grumbling noise echoed through the castle, and Arthur gasped, knowing what was coming for them. Matthew’s eyes widened before looking back to his other monarchs, “in the trap door! NOW!!” 

His priority was making sure to push Alfred in through the door, before making sure that Arthur and Yao got in safety.

“I love you, Alfred…” 

“MATTHEW NO!!!” Alfred roared as he pushed against the door, but his strength wasn’t enough to push against Matthew’s extensive training, and the trap door closed, trapping Alfred, Arthur and Yao in the dark hallway. “MATTHEW!! DON’T!!! DON’T DO THIS, PLEASE!!!!” 

Alfred gasped when he heard the noise of Matthew pushing the bookcase in front of the trap door, effectively destroying any hope of him joining them in the hidden corridor. Arthur knew now that he had to console Alfred, he felt for his husband’s shoulders before pulling him and holding him closely, feeling Alfred’s entire body tremble.  
“MATTHEW!!!” 

Matthew waited for Alfred’s screaming to end, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Arthur and Yao had managed to get him moving. Matthew wiped his tears away, hearing the noises coming closer, knowing that they would find him within a matter of minutes.  
He must hold these people back for as long as he can, because if he does: it will mean that everyone else will be able to escape.  
Matthew sighed as he pulled his sword out of his sheath, coming to terms with what fate had chosen for him, he is going to perform the Aces greatest honour…. 

\---------- 

Despite Alfred’s silence, Arthur knew that Alfred was still screaming on the inside… Alfred was still holding tightly onto Arthur’s hand, and even though Arthur had lost the feeling in his fingers, he did not want Alfred to let them go. 

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” Yao muttered, he walked ahead of Alfred and Arthur, holding his hands out as the trio walked in complete darkness. They had been walking for at least ten minutes now, and had a couple of incidents of falling down the stairs, however, it became a lot easier once they reached the flat ground. 

Arthur could tell that Yao was trying his hardest, he could hear the pain in Yao’s voice, even from just his five words, Arthur could hear all the silent tears that Yao had shed, and the pain that he hid in his heart. Arthur had always admired Yao for being able to remain so level-headed in such a painful situation.  
However, Arthur knew that he had to remain strong, he had to keep his head held high, he kept walking for Alfred, and made sure that Alfred kept walking too. It’s what Matthew wanted. He was going to keep Alfred moving, no matter what. 

Alfred’s silence worried Arthur, Arthur could tell that he was broken inside… Even though Arthur had cried so much, he had run out of tears; he couldn’t imagine what pain Alfred must be going through right now… Arthur wished that he could see Alfred’s face, so he could hold him and promise that everything was going to be ok. 

“Stop walking, we’ve reached the end!” Yao exclaimed. Arthur could hear Yao’s hands move across the dirty wall, “I just need to find the right… There!” 

Arthur squinted as Yao pushed the door open, revealing the rose garden. Arthur frowned, remembering how much time he had spent in the rose garden, unaware that there was a trap door right behind him. The sky was purple and orange as the sun set beyond the horizon, offering a little bit of light. When Arthur stepped out of the trap door, he recognised which part of the rose garden that he was facing, a couple of metres away from the wall stood a large wooden wall, with roses and vines intertwined in the woodwork…  
However, something felt wrong… 

Arthur’s senses had proven to be right, as four figures stepped out from behind the rose wall, as if expecting them. Immediately, Arthur recognised three of the figures. It was the leaders of the revolutionaries, Lukas, Matthias, as well as Tino, one of their spies who had infiltrated the castle over a year ago. They were all dressed similarly to the others, dressed in black with spots of red or blue, they all looked like they belonged to the revolution, and all stared at the three monarchs with the same look of accomplishment on their faces. 

“What is this?!” Yao gasped, as Arthur held on tightly to Alfred, finally able to see the pained look on his face, still looking as though he was crying, but there were no more tears left to shed. 

“We knew about the trap door,” Matthias pointed out, “We knew that you’d try to escape, just like the last royals did.”

“On the contrary, you were the people we were looking for,” Yao explained.

“Stop this, please!” Arthur exclaimed, “there has been enough bloodshed.” 

“You don’t know the extent of it!!” Lukas roared, silencing Arthur, “you don’t know how long the bloodshed has been going on! You don’t know the years of suffering we’ve all endured because of the crown!” 

“And that is not his fault!!” Alfred barked. 

At that, Lukas’ posture changed and he frowned, and Arthur knew that Lukas understood what Alfred meant, he knew that none of this were Alfred or Arthur’s fault. However, the people he represented refused to understand or see mercy with the new King and Queen. The hatred that had been birthed by the former King and Queen was now Alfred and Arthurs to carry. 

“We can’t stop the attack…” Lukas admitted, sighing deeply, “the people will not stop until the monarchy crumbles. In their eyes, you have wasted the chance that you were given.”  
Arthur protested, “But we did so much---“ 

“And it was not enough!” Matthias pointed out, “It is true that you have made some positive changes, but there was too much wrong for you two to make right… We’re sorry that it has to be this way…” 

“We’re suffering from this too, my brother is still in there!” Alfred argued, “He’s fighting to protect us, please! Call off the attack and we can organise something! Anything! Enough people have died tonight!” 

Lukas and Matthias looked at each other, both bearing sad eyes, they agreed that this was enough, but Arthur could see that they knew that there they had unleashed a terrible beast within the castle, and returning the peace was going to be a monumental challenge. 

“There is one way to end this quickly,” Lukas began, “Come with us, and we will let the people decide what shall be done.” 

“No!” Yao snapped, “If you let the people have their way, Alfred and Arthur will die, you already know what the people want, and the people want blood!” 

“I don’t know if I blame them…” Matthias grumbled. 

“Tino, please, you know what we went through,” Arthur plead, looking to the young man who once pretended to be an advisor, who once defended Alfred and Arthur before his fellow revolutionaries; begging that he would do it again. “You know how hard we tried, and how badly we want to make things right.” 

Tino frowned, before looking to his taller, blonde friend, before returning his gaze to Alfred and Arthur, “I’m sorry… But I can’t fight against what the people want…” 

Suddenly, a figure ran through the rose garden, another revolutionary, with light—almost silver, blonde hair. Arthur gasped when he saw the youth on his face, and how similar he looked to Lukas, they could have been brothers. 

“Emil!” Lukas gasped, noticing the blood on the young man’s clothes, “You’re supposed to be with your group!” 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m the messenger! I have news about the Ace!” Emil gasped, catching his breath, “He’s killed nineteen of our men!” 

Everyone within earshot gasped, and Arthur’s eyes instantly looked to Alfred, seeing the shocked look on Alfred’s handsome face. Alfred looked as though he were about to faint from the shock. Nineteen people… Arthur felt Alfred tighten his grip on his hand, shaking as he struggled to remain composed, Arthur could tell that Alfred wanted to break; he was barely holding on, and Arthur could see that Alfred was crumbling inside. The idea of Matthew being in danger shook him to the core. 

“And where is he now?” Lukas asked, frowning. 

At this question, Emil gulped as his eyes widened, as though already horrified by what news he was about to bring, “The Ace… Is without his head…” 

At this, Alfred released a blood-curdling scream, falling to his knees and heaving as though he were about to be sick. Arthur fell to Alfred’s side and took his husband into his arms, letting Alfred scream into Arthur’s shoulder as he shook uncontrollably and cried incoherently. Even Yao froze with shock, staring at the ground as the tears started to form in the corner of his eyes, for once, not even Yao could think of a way to fix the situation. Even the revolutionaries were not prepared for such drastic news, Lukas and Matthias looked to each other with wide eyes, and Alfred’s reaction only worsened as time went on. Alfred roared with pain and sobbed into Arthur’s arms as Arthur covered him with his cloak, trying his best to soothe whatever pain he could, as he was struggling to keep himself together. 

“They’re searching for the King and Queen now…” Emil admitted, his wide violet eyes staring directly at Arthur, as the Queen struggled to keep himself together, only allowing s few tears to escape and run down his cheek. “They’re becoming angry…” 

Suddenly, Arthur’s view of the revolutionaries was blocked when Yao stood before Alfred and Arthur, shielding them. Arthur gasped when Yao spread out his arms, revealing two short black blades that he had been hiding under his long and wide sleeves. 

“If you want to take them, you will have to get through me,” Yao growled. 

“Yao…” Arthur gasped, astonished. 

“Very well. Berwald.” Lukas murmured, clearly becoming tired of this, “End this once and for all.” 

It was the tallest one who hadn’t spoken yet that burst into action, Berwald was dressed almost completely in black, with the blue fabric underneath his cloak offering the only colour. He drew out his sword and ran at Yao, not wasting a second before getting into the fight. Yao swiftly swung one blade, barely missing Berwald’s neck in the process, throwing off the taller man’s attack. Berwald was forced to step back multiple times to avoid Yao’s lightning quick swings, even gaining a couple of scratches up the arms. 

“Surrender, and I will let! You! LIVE!” Yao growled, swinging with every word.  
Arthur watched with eyes wide with shock, he never knew that Yao was capable of such a quick and skilled attack, were all Jacks trained like this? However, Arthur had to admit, he was not surprised that Yao was prepared for an attack. 

Arthur’s eyes widened as he held on tightly to Alfred, keeping his husbands head hidden in Arthur’s arms, he didn’t want him to see this, he has suffered enough… Arthur wanted to crumble as well, he was fighting the urge to throw a fit and scream, but he had to remain strong, he must stay strong for Alfred… It’s what Matthew wanted… 

Yao was stronger than Arthur ever knew, and braver than anyone expected. Even the revolutionaries were in shock, it was obvious that they had brought Berwald for fire-power, and their plan was backfiring because of Yao. Yao was a weapon that Alfred and Arthur never knew they had, he was the secret line of defence… 

Yao was powerful and fierce, not even letting the taller man lift his sword before the threat of Yao’s blades forced him to retreat. Clearly Berwald was not prepared to face someone as fast and as deadly as Yao. Yao was going to defend his King and Queen to the death, and anyone who misjudged his loyalty was mistaken. Arthur was hypnotised by Yao’s ability, watching him through the tears as Yao delivered more and more precise cuts to Berwald’s arms as he struggled to defend himself, if Berwald were any closer, he would be suffering from the full extent of Yao’s blades. 

However, Arthur saw Tino quietly draw out a blade him under his cloak, and with anger in his eyes, the shorter man crept behind Yao, waiting for the right moment. 

“YAO! BEHIND YOU!” Arthur cried as Tino came at Yao with the blade, Yao turned around just in time to see Tino charge, and move out of the way in time for Tino’s slash to miss anything vital, however, Yao took a nasty slash to his arm. Yao cried out in pain as blood ran down his violet sleeve, dripping onto the grass as Yao dropped his blade. 

“YAO!!” Arthur screamed, his eyes widening with horror when Berwald swung his sword, colliding it with Yao’s stomach, sending him to the ground, where he struggled to even move. Arthur screamed when Berwald stood over Yao, and lifted his sword over his head. Not able to cope, Arthur screamed as he buried his head against Alfred screaming to drown out the noise of the horrible world around him. 

Arthur trembled as he held on tightly to Alfred, refusing to look up and see the revolutionaries that had gathered around him. They were trying to talk to them, but he refused to look up or let Alfred move away. Arthur debated rising and finding one of Yao’s blades, maybe then he could do something. But then he realised how stupid that idea was, there were only two of them, and five revolutionaries, they were hopeless. 

“Arthur, I know it hard, but please,” Arthur heard Lukas say, “Let us end this, let us take you two back into the castle. But we don’t know what will happen after…” 

Even as they were escorted back into the castle, Alfred still held on tightly to Arthur, he hadn’t spoken since he learned about Matthew, nor had he stopped trembling from the shock. Alfred had been broken, Arthur looked into Alfred’s eyes and saw nothing but sadness and pain, they had just lost the two best people in their lives, as well as their Kingdom. The world that they knew was falling apart, and their future was just as uncertain. 

Alfred and Arthur were left in a small bedroom, where the windows had been boarded up, and all doors locked, all that they had was a bed, as all other furniture had been taken away. Arthur quickly guided Alfred to the bed, urging him to sit down on the comfy sheets as Arthur released the cloak from around Alfred’s shoulders, letting the heavy fabric slide off his shoulders. 

“Alfred, it’s going to be ok, I promise, I’m going to do a … all…. All I can…” As Arthur spoke, his voice cracked as he struggled to hold back tears, taking Alfred’s hands into his own. With a heavy sob, Arthur fell to his knees, and his head rested in Alfred’s lap. “I’m so sorry…” 

“Arthur…” Alfred murmured, running his hand through Arthurs hair as the Queen sobbed into his lap, finally breaking under all of the pressure that had been placed on him. “Look at me…” 

Arthur did, and he saw Alfred staring down at him with narrowed eyes and red cheeks, he was trying so hard to be brave, even though he knew that all Alfred wanted to do right then was sob and scream. “Alfred…” 

“If you get the chance…” Alfred began, stopping in the middle to take a deep breath as he closed his eyes, “If you get the chance to escape, I want you to go to the Diamonds.” 

“Alfred… What…?” Arthur gasped, “I’m not leaving you.” 

“I- I’m the King...” Alfred stuttered, his eyes widening with fear as he spoke, like saying it out loud sent shivers down his spine, “They’ll kill me first…” 

“Al—“ 

“Do it, if you get the chance to escape, go to the Diamonds,” Alfred explained, “The Heartlands are too far away, and the Clubs terrain is too dangerous…. And….” Alfred sighed as he took Arthur’s head into his hands, staring hopelessly into Arthur’s eyes, “I know Francis will protect you…” Arthur’s eyes widened as Alfred continued to speak, “It’s ironic, I didn’t trust him to be in the same room with you last year… But now… now, I know that he’d look after you better than anyone else could… He’ll keep you safe…”

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Arthur grumbled, resting his cheek against Alfred’s palm, “We are the King and Queen, we will handle this together, I am not leaving you.”

“But---“  
Alfred was interrupted when the doors to the room were forced open, and men dressed in dark clothes, and some in armour; former guards, marched in. 

“What’s going on?!” Arthur asked as he jumped onto Alfred, holding onto him tightly as the men surrounded him, instantly, Alfred and Arthur feared what was going to happen next.  
With few words, one man grabbed Arthur’s shoulders and attempted to pull him away from Alfred. 

“DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM!!” Alfred roared, holding on tighter to Arthur, so they became too heavy for the man to hold, so the couple fell to the floor, “ARTHUR, HOLD ONTO ME!!”  
In an attempt to lock themselves together, Arthur tried to wrap his legs around Alfred’s torso, only for them to be grabbed and held apart, preventing him from securing himself onto Alfred. 

“ALFRED!!” Arthur screamed as Arthur could feel the men try to tear his arms away from Alfred, and the others trying to do the same to Alfred. They were not delicate in their execution, and Arthur cried out in pain when his hands were scratched and pinched in an effort to make him let go of Alfred’s clothes. “NO!! LEAVE US ALONE!!”

“DON’T SEPARATE US, PLEASE!!” Alfred begged as Arthur could feel the men pull Alfred’s arm off Arthur’s back, and it only took one more swift yank to separate the couple. Instantly, they became desperate to reach each other. “NO!! DON’T HURT HIM!! GIVE HIM BACK!!” Alfred roared, trying his best to fight the hands that held him back. 

“ALFRED!!!” Arthur screamed as he was pinned to the ground, feeling knees press into his back in order to keep him in place, ignoring his screams of agony. Other men started to pull Alfred away and despite how hard he fought, there were still too many hands holding Alfred in place. 

“NO! LET ME GO!!” Alfred cried trying his best to fight, but he was stuck. He screamed again, his anxiety turning into panic as one hand broke free and he gripped the doorframe as he was dragged out of the bedroom. 

As soon as Alfred was out of the room, Arthur was released, and no matter how hard he tried to run out of the bedroom, he was pushed back and the door closed and locked on him. “DON’T HURT HIM!! DON’T YOU DARE HURT HIM!! ALFRED!!! ALFRED!!!!” 

“Not good, is it?” A voice asked, Arthur froze as he let his hands run down the white wood of the door. 

Slowly, Arthur turned his head, he was certain that all the guards had left… However, when Arthur saw him, he recognised the man who sat calmly on his bed for an entirely different reason. His pale, ghostly skin contrasted to the black robes he wore, with his red eyes offering the only colour, he smiled as Arthur slowly came to realise who he was. He was deathly thin and with almost snow-white hair, his presence chilled Arthur to the core. Arthur knew that he had seen him somewhere, he had a face that Arthur couldn’t forget, no matter how much Arthur wanted to. 

All that Arthur knew of him came from a seamstress’ cautionary tale, of which even Arthur found questionable. He had appeared during Alfred and Arthur’s coronation, before disappearing entirely, then Arthur was told that his presence was a warning, a sign that something bad was coming… 

“You…” 

“Me!” The Joker chuckled, waving his hands at Arthur, “Do you remember me?” 

“Yes…” Arthur muttered. 

“There’s no need to be afraid of me,” The Joker explained, “Do you understand why I brought you here?” 

Arthur frowned, “You did this?” 

“Well, I didn’t expect you to get it, no one does,” The Joker murmured, “You’re in a dream, none of this is real.” 

“What…?” Arthur gasped, looking down to his hands, he pinched himself, but he still felt the pain, “I can’t be dreaming.” 

“That trick doesn’t work when I’m involved; but that was smart,” The Joker pointed out, “Do you remember coming home from the Diamond Ball?” 

At the question, Arthur froze when he realised that the Joker had proven Arthur wrong, he couldn’t remember anything that happened between the night he spent with Alfred, and this exact moment. “Oh… So…”

The Joker answered Arthur’s questions before he could even ask them, “None of this has happened, yet. Matthew and Yao are safe, and right now; you and Alfred are sleeping in the Diamond Palace.” 

“How can I prevent this from happening?!” Arthur asked, his question coming out louder than he meant. 

“I can’t tell you. But I think you know already…” 

Arthur sighed as his cheeks burned, knowing what the Joker meant, “Francis…” 

“Ahhh, there you go; perfect solution,” The Joker chuckled, his accent sending a chill through his body. He had a similar accent to King Ludwig, except, his voice was far more chilling and mischievous. 

“But, would he still help? I hurt him…” Arthur sighed, looking to his feet. 

“Oh, I think he would; trust me,” The Joker admitted, “All I’m saying is, if you get the opportunity to: trust him.” 

“It’s all because I annulled that damned deal, isn’t it? I doomed us… I need to fix this,” Arthur murmured, before looking to the Joker as he took a violet pillow from the head of the bed and placed it on his lap.

“You’re right,” The Joker replied, “This future needs to be prevented, what follows this night is the birth of a violent revolution and millions will die as a result of it, and its effects will be felt by all four Kingdoms for generations.” 

“What do you mean…?” Arthur asked. 

“Simple, your and Alfred’s deaths are going to create a ripple that is going to change the future drastically, this is going to destroy the timeline!” The Joker explained. 

“We die?!” Arthur gasped, bringing his hands to his face in shock. 

“Of course you die, you’re the Queen of a Kingdom that is on the brink of a violent revolution! Do you honestly think that they would keep you alive?” The Joker asked, smiling despite the shock and horror on Arthur’s face. 

“N-no… But…” 

“It’s hard to hear it out loud, I know…” The Joker murmured, “But… Without you and Alfred to mediate, the territorial dispute between the Heart and Clubs become war. There will be a civil war in the Kingdom of Spades, of which the republic will be formed. The Diamonds will go to war with the Spades Republic—“ 

“Why would Francis go to war with the Spades?” Arthur asked. The Joker smiled as he stood up from the bed and made his way to where Arthur stood, still carrying the pillow. 

“Do you honestly think that Francis would respect the government that killed you?” The Joker chuckled, “He’s not that nice. King Francis really can be formidable when you’re not on his good side, heh; a lot like your own King Alfred.” When the Joker saw Arthurs eyes widen, he knew that he wanted to continue, “First, it is subtle. Francis refuses to host members of the Spades Parliament in the Spring conference, he would enforce trade bans on all Spades product, would snub them at diplomatic events and encourage the other Kingdoms to do so. At first it was easy, he was doing all that he could to inconvenience them, that was all he could do… However, that was all that the Spades knew.” 

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked, trembling as the Joker spoke, so much was going on at once for him to process. The fact that all that he had seen and experienced was nothing but a look into the future had shaken him to the core. 

“During the Spades civil war, the Diamonds were funding the monarchists, sending weapons and soldiers and freeing political prisoners,” The Joker explained, “The war between the Diamond Kingdom and the Spade Republic only started because the government learned of his activities, and they declared war.” 

“Who wins…?” Arthur asked.

“Uh-uh-uh, now that’s going too far into the future for you to know. I can’t tell you everything, I have rules; you know,” The Joker chuckled, “All I want is for you to learn exactly what is at stake here…” 

“But what else can you tell me?!” Arthur asked, frowning with confusion as he watched the Joker pull the pillow out of its violet pillow case. 

“Don’t worry, my Queen…” The Joker mumbled, as Arthur suddenly lost his ability to move, he watched helplessly as the Joker stared at him blankly, before Arthur lost his vision to the silk pillow case that was placed over his head. He then felt the Joker hold his face, and a set of cold lips kiss his forehead through the pillowcase, “There’s still one more thing that I want to show you…”


	7. Day Six

“DOWN WITH THE CROWN!!”

“SEND THEM TO HELL!!” 

“GIVE US OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!” 

“KILL THE KING!!” 

“GIVE US THE QUEENS HEAD!!!” 

"SPILL THEIR ROYAL BLOOD!!" 

"REVOLUTION!! REVOLUTION!! REVOLUTION!!" 

The chants nearly brought Arthur to tears, the people who were screaming these horrid things were his own people, and were the worse things for any monarch to hear. Arthur felt dead inside, but the pain in his heart reminded him that he was alive.  
He had suffered through months of abuse and neglect, at the hands of people who he used to trust. He recognised the faces of the people who struck him without provocation, or who neglected to feed him for days on end. 

“TONIGHT!!” Arthur heard Lukas cry before the crowd, the moment of truth has commenced, and Arthur knew that he didn’t have much time left. “THE REVOLUTION COMES FIRST!! THE MONARCHY HAS HAD TOO MANY CHANCES AND THEY HAVE LET US DOWN FOR THE LAST TIME!! TONIGHT!! IT ALL ENDS!!” 

Arthur knew that Lukas felt sorry for him, Lukas knew what Alfred and Arthur had been through, and how none of this was their fault. But yet, Arthur understood why Lukas did not defend them, he has a reputation to protect, he needs to people to have faith in him: otherwise the entire Kingdom will fall to chaos. 

Arthur was standing still, trying his best to not crumble to the floor from his weakness or fear, he had to be strong to the very end. His opportunity to escape never came, but even then: Arthur knew that he would refuse to leave without Alfred. He missed Alfred so much, he didn’t know whether his love was still alive or if the crowd had already taken him away for good… 

Suddenly Arthur was pushed forward and made to walk, felling the strong grip of guard’s hands on his arms, keeping him in place and moving at the right pace. Arthur quivered with fear as he felt the cold wind of the night, and could hear the roar of the people he once called his citizens… All calling for his death and suffering. Arthur tried his best to not cry as he walked up a flight of wooden stairs, anticipating what waited for him at the end of his journey… He may have accepted the fact that he is going to die, but it doesn’t mean that he isn’t ready for it. He wanted to at least hold Alfred one more time… 

“THE REVOLUTION IS BORN TONIGHT!!” Lukas screamed as he lifted his arm, the people before him screamed with appreciation and joy as the pillowcases was lifted from Arthur’s head. 

Arthur could tell that he looked as dead on the outside as he felt on the inside. The life that once filled Arthurs eyes had been washed away and left nothing but sadness behind, the lush green in his eyes were tampered by endless crying, and the skin around his eyes were red from past bruising and purple from lack of sleep. Dried up clubs of blood were littered on the corners of his lips and around his nostrils, indicating only some of the pain and torture Arthur must have been through. The Queens legs shook, as though too weak to hold his weight, and the rest of his body was frail and battered.

Arthur’s eyes scanned the crowd, unable to recognise any of them through the anger and chaos, his own people wanted him dead. And they were about to get their wishes. The noose also caught Arthur’s eyes, hanging before him, haunting Arthur. It was then that the reality really hit Arthur, and he trembled in fear, already feeling the thick rope tighten around his neck… 

Arthur turned his head to the side, and gasped when he saw a familiar face staring back at him. Arthur’s world froze as he stared at the man who he thought was dead, his husband…  
An ugly bruise stained the once perfect skin on his cheek, and his eyes were narrowed with pain, as though it hurt to see alone, he was a lesser form of his charismatic self. His eyes had been drained of any life...  
Suddenly, some form of life returned to the Arthur and Alfred, as they attempted to run to each other before being held back by their escorts. 

“ARTHUR!!!” Alfred screamed as he snatched Arthur’s hand, before being snatched by the guards. Alfred looked to Lukas with an ugly glare, like he was hesitating to attempt to kill the revolutionary, “You bastard! You promised that it’d only be me!!” 

“I’m sorry,” Lukas murmured as Arthur and Alfred screamed as they were being forced apart, they cried and wailed as though they hadn’t seen each other in weeks and their separation anxiety had reached unimaginable heights. “I tried, I really did…” 

Arthur screamed loudly as he was lifted off his feet, and separated from Alfred. 

“ALFRED!!! AAHH!!! ALFRED!!” Arthur screamed loudly as he struggled to fight against the guard as Alfred struggled against his own. Arthur screamed again, but in pain as he was forced back onto the ground, falling to his knees before being pulled up by his shoulders like a puppet.

“DON’T HURT HIM, PLEASE!!” Alfred screamed the couple each other with tears in their eyes as stools were placed underneath the nooses, and they were pushed to step up, face-to-face with the holes of their nooses. 

Time slowed down as Arthur slowly made his way onto the stool, thankful that he got to see Alfred one last time… Even though the circumstances were the worst. Arthur glanced to Alfred one last time, trying to pretend to be brave, but the look in Alfred’s eyes reduced him to tears…  
“I love you…” 

Arthur felt a foot be propped onto his stool as the crowd began to chant, calling for the execution.

The crowd went wild as their monarchs’ bodies trembled from the fear, dreading the death that awaited them from the hands of their own people.  
Arthur opened his eyes again, however, a figure in gold stood out in the crowd. Arthur frowned as he focused his weak eyes long enough to see through the tears. It was Francis, was this just a cruel trick from the Joker, or is he here to see Arthur die….? Why…? Francis was being held back fro the crowd as he stared at Arthur with eyes willed with horror… He stood out from the roaring crowd like a sore thumb. 

Arthur’s dry lips parted as he took in a deep breath, knowing that it would be his last, closing his eyes, Arthur accepted his fate. Only wishing that it was different for Alfred… But still… the thought of being with Alfred in the afterlife calmed him slightly… 

Suddenly, the stool was kicked from under Arthur’s feet, causing the Queen to fall into his noose and hang by his neck, whilst the flag behind him was set on fire, igniting the end of the Kingdom of Spades. The force of the fall wasn’t strong enough to immediately break Arthur’s neck, so death was not instant, Arthur struggled to breathe as the crowd roared.  
Arthur struggled against the weight of his own body that pulled against his neck, sealing his throat shut. Arthur gasped and struggled, still fighting with all the strength that he had left. But it wasn’t long until his limbs became numb and his vision blurred, feeling his eyes roll back as his face turned blue, before he finally scummed and stopped moving… 

\--------

Arthur released a loud scream after finally drawing in a breath of cold air, like he had been drowning. He screamed loudly as he felt the soft sheets around him, but he hadn’t yet realised that he was in bed with Alfred, and not hanging by his neck. 

“ARTHUR! WHO’S THERE!?” Alfred cried as he forced his arm over Arthur to keep him still, instinctually Alfred was checking for enemies, but frowned when he saw that no one was in the room with them, but Arthur hadn’t stopped screaming. Arthur screamed and cried as he felt Alfred wrap his arms around Arthur, holding him tightly, reminding Arthur that he was there and that nothing was going to hurt him. “Are you ok?! What’s wrong?! Arthur!!” 

Arthur couldn’t speak, he was trembling and whimpering within Alfred’s grasp, struggling to believe that he was really alive, and that all that he had been through was in his dream. A nightmare… 

“Did you have a bad dream…?” Alfred asked, placing his hand under Arthur’s chin, making him look up and into his eyes, “You scared me, bad.” 

“I…” Arthur choked, struggling to think of something to say. And so, instead of speaking, Arthur held on tightly to Alfred, and nuzzled his face into Alfred’s chest, not wanting to see the world around them, nor the future that was in store for them. Suddenly, the door to Alfred and Arthur’s chambers opened and Arthur knew who had stormed in. 

“I heard screaming!” Matthew pointed out, “Are you two ok?!” 

“Matthew, it’s fine, put your sword down,” Alfred replied, “Arthur just had a nightmare.” 

“Oh… Well, I suppose that it’s good that you two are awake,” Yao sighed, “Everything is about ready, so you two should prepare for our leave.” 

At this admission, Arthur’s eyes widened, “I don’t think we should leave!” 

“Arthur, it’s going to be ok, we have enough,” Alfred explained, looking down at Arthur, “We can’t let them take away what we have left…” 

“If the other royals know, they will not hesitate to annul our deals and reverse all of our progress,” Yao explained, “I’m sorry Arthur.” 

“But… But…” Arthur whimpered, however, he silenced himself before he could argue. He settled with the fact that he was going to try again. 

\------ 

Arthur still wondered whether what he saw was truly just the creativity of his morbid imagination, or if the Joker had really come to warn him of the future. He held tightly onto Alfred’s hand as his husband guided him onto the carriage, where they sat closely together to protect each other from the frosty air of what is going to be a beautiful spring day. 

“I still don’t know about leaving…” Arthur murmured as soon as the carriage started to roll, Alfred and Arthur had been given their own carriage, as Yao and Matthew had more things to sort out. It turned out that no one in the Diamond Palace were prepared for the Spades to leave so early. Arthur couldn’t help but wonder how Francis would feel about that… But Arthur also had to wonder why he was in his dream, why did Arthur see Francis standing in the crowd as he was executed by his own people? What did he have to do with their hanging? Unless… Was he trying to stop it…? 

“I know, but we can’t risk it. What if the other royals know that we- I blackmailed Francis…” Alfred explained. 

“But what if they don’t know, and we’re only making it worse by leaving?” Arthur asked. He was tempted to tell Alfred about his dream, however, would Alfred really believe him? “We shouldn’t leave.” 

“Well, it’s a bit late now, and better safe than sorry,” Alfred sighed, “Besides, I don’t think Francis would want to host us anymore anyways, he’d be glad that we’re leaving.” 

“I….” Arthur sighed, feeling his legs start to tremble. 

“Hey… look at me,” Alfred murmured as he took Arthur’s chin in his fingers, and brought Arthur’s face up to stare into Alfred’s eyes. Before Arthur could protest any further, Alfred brought their lips together for a sweet kiss. Arthur frowned and attempted to pull away, but Alfred was persistent and determined to not see Arthur upset. Although Arthur did love Alfred’s kisses, they did not make the worried thoughts disappear. Despite this, he couldn’t resist the temptation to give in to his husband’s persistence, and kissed Alfred back. He kissed Alfred softly, and let Alfred take the lead, not letting the occasional rocking of their carriage disrupt them. Alfred’s hand slid slowly up Arthur’s arm as they closed their eyes, letting nothing that was going on beyond their kissing bother them. However, once Alfred placed his hand against the soft skin of Arthur’s neck, images of the noose taking away his breath. Arthur would have screamed had Alfred’s lips not been there to muffle him, but his pain was made known with his frantic trembling and shock on his face. “What’s wrong?” 

“I just…” Arthur sighed, “My nightmare returned to my mind. I really think that we shouldn’t have left, we don’t have enough!” 

“I will make it enough, I promise,” Alfred swore, “How about you and I summon Lukas and Matthias to the castle as soon as we get home, and we can figure out what else we can do? Does that calm you?” 

“A little…” Arthur murmured, but will this still be enough to prevent the fate that Arthur saw in his nightmare? 

Before Arthur knew it, he and Alfred had arrived at the docks, and the sun had risen over the beautiful Diamond Kingdom. Arthur could not help but feel a sense of dread as he watched the last of the Spades possessions be carried aboard their large ship. 

Arthur held on tightly to Alfred's hand as they began to walk towards the ship. Every sense in Arthur’s body was screaming as him to run away right now. It felt wrong, so, so wrong… Had Arthur not done enough, will what he will do be enough to save them? Has he already ruined them, despite his warning? 

Would he ever have another chance? 

“No way…” Alfred grumbled, his grip on Arthur’s hand tightening. Alfred sounded angry, and so it instantly caught Arthur’s attention, Arthur looked up from the wooden plank to see a figure riding down the sandy hill on a horse… Upon concentration, Arthur gasped when he realised who it was. 

“Francis…” Arthur gasped, his eyes widening with shock… 

“Arthur, get on the ship, now…” Alfred grumbled, “I’m going to take care of him…” 

“No, I’m not going anywhere,” Arthur protested, knowing exactly how Alfred planned to ‘take care’ of the Diamond King. 

“ARTHUR!” Francis cried as his horse stepped off the sand path and leapt onto the wooden dock. Quickly Francis halted his horse and swung off the beast, breaking into a run as soon as his feet hit the wood of the dock. “ARTHUR, ALFRED, WAIT!!”

Even from the distance of the dock, Arthur could see that Francis was staring directly at him, and the once grand King of Diamonds had been reduced to a desperate mess. Arthur couldn’t help but think, is this his second chance? 

“What does he want?!” Alfred hissed. 

Francis stopped before the plank, preventing himself from chasing them onto the plank, startling the couple. 

“What are you doing here?!” Alfred hissed loudly, as though he was insulted by Francis’ actions. Arthur know that Alfred was upset, however, Arthur couldn’t help but feel as though this was a blessing in disguise. However, Arthur’s sight of Francis was quickly blocked by Alfred’s shoulder, to shield him from the other Kings gaze. 

“Seventy-five!!” Francis wheezed, feeling as though he was about to be sick from the mixture of anxiety, adrenaline and straining exercise, “Seventy-five percent!!” 

“What?” Arthur asked as he took a step down the plank, but Alfred’s grip on his hand prevented him from moving any further. This must be it! This must be his chance! This must be what the Joker intended!! This was going to save them!! Arthur had to resist the temptation to run over to Francis and hug him!!! 

“The deal! I’ll trade my grain and food with you! You only pay seventy-five percent!” Francis explained as he felt his messy hair fall from his ribbon and onto his face, making him look more like a madman than the ludicrous King he had previously presented himself as. Arthur tried his best to look as though he was still undecided, whereas Alfred remained cold, imagining what Francis was capable of... “It’s still a better deal for you than what ever has been arranged in the history of our kingdoms!” 

“Why are you doing this?!” Alfred asked as he pushed himself further in front of Arthur, as though to shield him, knowing that Francis had been staring. “What do you want?!” 

“My Kingdom is a lot more desperate than I have led everyone to believe. I need this arrangement, badly.” Francis sighed, however, Arthur knew that this was a huge lie: Lili had told Arthur all about the success of the Diamond Kingdom… So, none of this made sense to Arthur. “Don’t think of me and don’t think of the sins of my heart… think of your people…”  
Francis smiled as Alfred and Arthur glanced at each other.  
“Think about how a good a deal revolving around food would be for them…” 

It was Arthur who pushed himself past Alfred. With their hands still connected, Arthur pulled Alfred from the plank, so the monarchs stood before the King of Diamonds. Both monarchs scared at him, analysing his words by considering his eyes. 

This was it, Arthur knew now that this was the deal that was going to save them…. Even Alfred could see that this was fantastic, and not even he could think of a reason to not take it.  
After receiving a nod from Alfred, Arthur extended his hand towards Francis, “deal.”

 

THE JOKER

Nearly a year after that day, the monarchs saw each other again in the dark of night in the Ballroom in the Palace of Clubs.  
However, the monarchs were being watched, a figure stood on the thin branch of a dying tree just outside the green tinted window. The figure was dressed in black, a stark contrast to the chilling whiteness of the snow. The figure wasn’t alone though, in his pale hands, he held a baby; of which whose chest was branded with the cursed mark of the Joker.

He has been watching them all night, and explained to his new baby all the stories behind every monarch, and the motivations that drove them. He knew that while the baby could not hear him now, Gilbert may as well start teaching him early. The baby who slept in his arms was going to have a lot to learn.  
The Joker is the guardian of the land, it is He who protects the land and those who rule it, ensuring that the passage of time is not disturbed. And now, Gilbert has completed his job: The Spades are safe and there is no war. 

However, he knew that there was something that was just as interesting taking place right before him.  
Francis had to escape from the Ball, making his way to the balcony, deciding to brave the snow in an attempt to salvage some privacy. Normally, the King would be social and fun during Balls, however, the presence of his love only brought back painful memories. 

The last year had been a hard one on the Diamond King, and while he did save Arthur’s life, he still struggled to come to terms with the fact that he was in love with a man who could not love him back… 

While Francis had become stronger, the sight of Arthur reminded him of how weak he really was. His heart raced just thinking about him, and Francis was not prepared to cope with it. At least he has learned how to not stare enough to catch Alfred’s attention. However… he still could not help himself… The longer he stared at Arthur, the happier he became, even though Arthur could never be his, at least he is alive and happy… 

Gilbert smiled, seeing another figure make his way through the green curtains of the Clubs Ballroom, before making his way onto the balcony. He wore a long royal blue cloak, to protect himself from the bitter cold of the Clubs territory. This man had come to Francis with something in mind, and Francis was not aware of his presence. 

“Francis…” 

To hearing his name, Francis turned around and gasped when he saw that it was Arthur who had called for him. His eyes widened with surprise, and instantly, his heartbeat rose. “Arthur, oh—I’m sorry, I’ll go—“ 

“Don’t…” Arthur murmured, “I want to talk to you.” 

“Oh…” Francis muttered, watching nervously as Arthur walked through the small layer of snow that had gathered on the balcony floor, standing next to Francis by the railing. Snow continued to fall around the pair, all while the party continued inside. 

Both royal was nervous, Gilbert could see that, neither of them knew what to say, because they both wanted to say so much… 

It was Arthur who was finally brave enough, stating why he wanted to speak to Francis, “I want to ask you… Why did you give Alfred and I a second chance with the deal? How did you know that we needed it so badly?” 

Francis chuckled, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” 

Arthur saw through this, “Try me.” 

“Well…” Francis sighed, trying to think of a way to justify Gilbert’s interference, but then he settled on telling the truth, it was the best way to do anything with Arthur. There were going to be no lies between them, no matter how painful. “It’s odd, but … I had a dream… where…” 

“Alfred and I were executed…” Arthur gasped, his eyes widening with shock, and gasping when Francis returned his look. 

“How did you?”

“I…” 

Finally, they both spoke at the same time, leaning into each other to speak, as though the legends name was taboo, “The Joker…” 

Francis chuckled, “I bet he’s watching right now.” 

Little did Francis know, he was very correct. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Arthur agreed, before sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest, not realising that Francis was already looking at him like he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; even after all this time. “He… He knew that you’d still help us… Even after everything we did…” 

“Of course I helped you,” Francis pointed out, “I wasn’t going to let you die … I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I lost you—“ 

Francis stopped himself when he caught Arthur’s glare, not even Arthur had anticipated that Francis’ feelings would still be alive, even after it had been so long. “Do you still…” Love me, was going to be the end of his sentence, but Arthur couldn’t bring himself to say it. 

And Francis didn’t need to hear it, “Yes….” Francis sighed, “I’ve gotten better though, I’ve been avoiding you.” 

“I can tell,” Arthur pointed out, “This is the first we’ve spoken for the entire conference.” 

“See? I’ve improved,” Francis chuckled, despite the aching of his heart. 

“But…” Arthur murmured, slowly losing his brave composure, “You saved us… After all Alfred and I did to you, you still saved us at your disadvantage… I…” Arthur finally broke and gave in, pulling Francis in for a tight hug, “I can’t thank you enough…” 

Francis’ eyes widened as he slowly laid his arms over Arthur’s back, not caring about the cold air stinging his exposed hands. His heart was beating so loudly, he was paranoid about Arthur being able to hear it. However, he did not let this worry ruin the moment, he held Arthur tightly, wanting him to understand just how precious Arthur was to Francis… 

“Just knowing that you’re safe is enough for me…” Francis asked, “Does Alfred know about this?” 

“No.” Arthur quietly admitted, releasing Francis from the hug, however, the two remained close, “I don’t want him knowing what our future could have been.” 

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking,” Francis asked. 

“It was horrid,” Arthur shuddered, “Out castle was taken over, Matthew and Yao were murdered trying to protect us, Alfred and I were separated… So much went wrong all at once, and then we died in the end… He was distraught and destroyed because of it, and so, I don’t want him knowing what we would have faced without your help.” 

“I understand.” 

“And please let me know if Alfred gives you any trouble, he doesn’t know that we owe our lives to you,” Arthur admitted, even checking the curtains back into the ballroom, worried that Alfred was going to come out and surprise him. He knew that the last thing Alfred wanted to see was Arthur with Francis, as Alfred still struggled to deal with his bitter emotions towards the King of Diamonds. 

“That’s fine, I’ve only received some bitter looks from him,” Francis admitted, “It’s honestly better than I expected.” 

“Ok, I’ll talk to him about that, I’m sorry.” 

“No, don’t be. I expected him to still be bitter about last year,” Francis replied. 

Arthur frowned as he stared into the lighter eyes of the Diamond King, unaware of the impact he was having on the pace of the man’s heart… “I can’t believe how well you are handling this…” 

Francis shrugged, trying his best to pretend that he hasn’t been suffering from the emotionally crippling pain of unrequited love, “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. I realised that I can’t be upset over this situation, you are happily married and my own feelings are my fault. You never asked for this, nor did you encourage me, so I can’t be upset if my feelings aren’t returned. I can’t make you love me, no matter how hard I try. And I have to accept that, besides, Alfred loves you; and the fact that you are married to someone who loves you as much as he does is the next best thing for me: you are happy, and that’s all that matters.” 

“I’m happy to hear that…” Arthur admitted, “But, you will always have my utmost respect. What you did for me was selfless and brave, thank you.” 

“I wouldn’t have done anything different…” 

After this confession, came another moment of silence, as the King of Diamonds and the Queen of Spades stared into each other’s eyes… Both were nervous, and unsure of where to go next, in both matters of the current moment, and in the future…. 

“I should…” Arthur murmured, stepping away, unable to take the eye contact for much longer. The beating of his heart was calling for Alfred… 

“Go…” Francis murmured, smiling calmly as he watched Arthur make his way back inside. 

With Arthur gone, and back to the man he loves, Francis sighed as he turned his attention back to the night sky. While it was painful that Francis’ love will never be returned, he could rest easy knowing that at least Arthur was happy. Gilbert could feel Francis’ trying to rationalise his beating heart, reminding himself that Arthur is with Alfred now, and is happier than he has ever been. Arthur is safe. 

And that’s all he needed. 

Gilbert teleported from the coldness of outside, and into the ballroom, where he watched Arthur find Alfred, and ask him for his hand in a dance…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would sometimes find myself wondering whether Arthur would ever return Francis' feelings, and I do like to think, that if the King of Spades was anyone BUT Alfred, "Eventually." 
> 
> While it would have taken a long time, Arthur and Francis would have eventually realised each others feelings, however, they could never afford to become a serious couple, despite how painful it would be. They are the monarchs of different Kingdoms, there was no way they could become an open couple, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't have been one secretly. 
> 
> As I said, this would have been so if the King of Spades wasn't Alfred, but then... I wonder how the Revolutionary situation would have gone if Alfred wasn't the King. Oh well. 
> 
> Thank you very much for reading this story,
> 
>  
> 
> Do you want to make a writers day? Do you want to make the HOURS of effort someone put into a story feel worth it? PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT, it will only take a second, but the impact is massive!!


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